Though the Road was Never Smooth
by Whatif-ifonly
Summary: Sequel to 'The Road Not Taken' and 'Two Roads Diverged' Companion fic to 'The Road Before Us' How do you carry on when you end up right back where you started?
1. Chapter 1

Here is chapter 1... wow does it seem weird to anyone to hear 'chapter 1'...cause it sure feels weird to say it.

I don't own Criminal Minds... then again - who knows, maybe there is a parallel universe out there where I do ;)

Happy reading and enjoy :D

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><p><em>"It is never too late to be what you might have been." - George Eliot<em>

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><p>Jason watched and waited as he sat on the hearth of the fireplace at the first of many stops along the way on his mission, his quest.<p>

JJ stirred on the couch where she was curled up around her best friend Spence, while her son, Henry, slept on his chest. Her eyes opened to greet the new day and she became confused at what she was seeing before her.

On the TV was the DVD menu for 'Finding Nemo'. This wasn't their living room… this was the living room from her old life… and then her hand reached down, settling on her belly, to find that instead of being rounded and 7 months pregnant, it was flat. Shock, horror, and an entire array of disturbing emotions settled in her gut as she realized that if she was here on the couch, with Spence and Henry, in her old living room in the house she'd shared with Will; then that meant… it had all been a dream. She hadn't relived the last 6 years, Henry was Will's, … there was no Chloe… and she wasn't pregnant with her and Spence's third child.

At the last two thoughts, JJ felt the bile rise up in her stomach and leapt of the couch, over Henry and Spence who were still asleep as she rushed to make it up the stairs and to the bathroom in time.

JJ sobbed with her face resting on the basin of the toilet as she became violently ill at the thought of losing the life and the family that she loved. Tears of grief and loss streamed down her face as her psyche and body reacted to the thought of everything that had been lost. Not only a husband and children she adored, but friends… an entire life ripped away. No Chloe, no new baby, no Elle, and no Rebecca…

Jason watched sadly for a moment, allowing his mother a moment to grieve the life she thought was lost, that she thought was only a dream. He paused in the doorway to the bathroom, unseen, while she washed her face and then she slumped in the corner of the bathroom, resting back against the bath tub where just the night prior she and Spence had given Henry a bath and curious little boy that he was, he'd asked Uncle Spence to explain where bubbles came from. She sat with her face buried in her hands, her fingers threaded through the golden strands of hair that fell around her face like a curtain as she attempted to fight off the despair that was threatening to settle into the core of her very being.

Jason sat down next to her and wrapped an arm around her should comfortingly as he allowed himself to shimmer into visibility and a solid presence in the room. "I told you, you'd see me again." He said smiling softly at his mother, hoping to ease her pain.

JJ turned her red rimmed eyes and slightly swollen tear stained face towards Jason as she pulled her hair back from her face and tucked it behind her ears. "Wait" she croaked brokenly as she attempted to use her voice. "It was real… it was all real?" she asked.

Jason nodded as he stood up and grabbed the cup on the counter filling it with cold water from the tap and then sat back down next to his heart broken mother, handing her the glass of water as he prepared to lift her spirits and explain just what exactly was happening.

"It all really happened." Jason replied soothingly as she took a sip of water. "What's the last thing you remember from… well I suppose it's easiest if we call it your dream even though it wasn't a dream."

JJ smirked and chuckled as she looked at Jason. "I hardly think that would be appropriate for a mother to share with her son."

Jason paled slightly. Yeah… he might be a soul and a guardian angel, but he didn't need to know about that. "Okay so you obviously remember everything right up to falling asleep? So you remember Dad explaining the multiverse?"

JJ smiled and nodded. "So this is basically a different reality?"

Jason nodded. "Yes."

JJ swallowed. "So Chloe, your brother… they all exist?" JJ asked.

Jason chuckled. "Yeah, they do. But you know, it's just us here. You can use my brother's name. I promise not to fill in the baby betting pool." he said with a smile.

JJ smiled softly remembering the conversation she and Spence had had in what was now another life. "Josh… we were… are going to name him Joshua… Joshua Wyatt" JJ said and then turned to look at Jason. "We thought about naming him Joshua Jason, partly after you, but it didn't feel quite right and your Dad was worried that it would get confusing with there being two JJs."

Jason nodded. "It's okay. He's getting more and more excited every day while he's waiting to be born and to meet you, Dad, Chloe, Henry, and Rebecca. They're all going to be fine, you know." He said turning to look at his mother. "But we need to talk about this timeline. I know you told Dad once that you didn't think you'd ever have had the courage to tell him how you felt in your old life… that you feared you and he would have both lived lives of quiet desperation… but this is your chance Mom. You already know what you and Dad could have been if you told him back then, if you'd had the opportunity to relive the last 6 years… now it's time to take advantage of the opportunities in the here and now."

"The other life… what happens to it?" JJ asked softly, curiously.

"It goes on, just like life always does." Jason said. "The you in that timeline, she remembers everything that happened up to yesterday in this timeline and she's grateful she got a second chance. Her memories are exactly the same as yours right up to when you both woke up this morning. For her, she really did relive the last 6 years and everything you remember from that life happened. For you, here in this reality, it was a dream, a really long vivid dream of what life could have been… could still be, if you want it to." He said as he pondered for a moment. "You know George Eliot said and I quote: Its never too late to be what you might have been." Jason said as he stood up and held out his hand to help his mother to her feet.

"Take a shower, pull yourself together, and make your life spectacular." Jason said as he pulled his mother into a hug. "And know that you haven't seen the last of me. Once my work is done, I'll be back." He said with a smile and a wink as he pulled back out of their hug. And then with a kiss on her cheek, he was gone, leaping through the gap once again into another universe to carry on his mission to see his parents together in as many universes as possible.

JJ smiled sadly as she looked in the mirror as she held her hand to the cheek that her full grown but not yet born, son had kissed. She shook her head and cleared her thoughts and then reached into the shower, setting the temperature for as hot as she could stand it. Then she stripped down and stepped into the shower thinking about the promise of a new day and how even though in this reality she and Spence had missed out on the last six years that could have been spent together, they didn't have to miss out on any more.

JJ smiled as she walked down the stairs, contemplating all of the possibilities that this life held. That was what was helping her to cope with the intense feelings of loss she felt at not only losing the family that she and Spence had created together, but also her friendships with Rebecca and Elle, along with the entire extended family the BAU team had become… and all of their families. She paused for a moment on the stairs as another wave of grief passed over her. Not only had she lost her children… but all of her nieces and nephews except for Caitlyn and Madison.

Then she heard the giggles of her baby boy as he talked softly with his Uncle Spence, and her spirits lifted. She laughed as she walked further down the stairs and saw Henry sitting on Spence's belly pretending to be a monster.

"Rah.. rah… rah!" he screeched at Uncle Spence from his perch on his Uncle's belly. "Mama!" He squealed excitedly when he saw her come into the living room from the bottom of the stairs. "I a fiewce scawy tewawa… tewanna… dinasas… dinosowwy… monstew." He said as he held up his 'claws' and made what was supposed to be a scary face.

"Oh my" JJ replied, allowing her eyes to get big. "Well, is my fierce, scary, little Tyrannosaurus Rex hungry this morning? You weren't planning on eating Uncle Spence were you? Then who would we talk into staying and playing with us today?" JJ said as she winked at Spence.

Henry's eyes got big as he turned to look back at Uncle Spence. "I sowwy Unca 'Pence. You 'tay and pway wit me an Mama?" he asked cutely with his lower lip forming an ever so slight pout.

"I….well I would love to buddy…but I need to go home and shower and change first. Okay?" Spence said looking up at his godson who was still perched on his stomach.

"Otay!" Henry said grinning excitedly.

JJ chuckled and shook her head. She walked over to her boys where they were spread out on the couch. "Okay Mr. Monster. What do you say we go have some breakfast so you'll have plenty of energy to play with Uncle Spence today?" She asked as she picked her baby boy up off Spence's belly. She blushed slightly at the cute, adorable, and rather hot sight of Spence with mussed up morning hair and the shadow of overnight beard growth. 'Down girl' she thought to herself, there will be time later, but you need to not freak Spence out right now.

"Uh-huh" Henry said nodding his head. "I hunry Mama"

"What do you say Spence, want to join us for breakfast before you head home to shower and change? I might need protecting from the hungry Tyrannosaurus Rex while I make breakfast." She said with a smile.

"Sure, breakfast sounds great." Spence said as he stood up and stretched, causing his shirt to rise up and show of his lower belly and his hips where his pants had slipped down.

JJ swallowed thickly attempting to quell the desire in her belly. And then a different type of desire in Spence's belly made its presence known as his stomach grumbled.

Henry's eyes got big as he turned to look at Mommy. "Mama! Unca 'Pence hunry! Him has a monstew in him bewwy!"

JJ laughed as she ran her fingers through Henry's baby soft blond hair. "He sure is baby. What should we feed him?"

"Fwench toas' wit sywup?" Henry asked with big eyes as he looked from Mommy to Uncle Spence.

"With bacon" Spence said with a nod.

"Yeah wit bacon!" Henry said nodding in agreement as he looked at Mommy.

"Okay, French toast with bacon and syrup it is. Let's get you boys fed before you starve." JJ said as she tickled Henry's tummy and led the way into the kitchen.

As Spence sat at the table eating breakfast with JJ and Henry, he couldn't help but wonder if this is what it would be like if they were together, if Henry was his son. And then feeling the danger of allowing himself to once again have those thoughts, he forced himself to clamp down on that beautiful day dream and focus on talking with Henry who was happily babbling away in between bites of his breakfast.

JJ found herself intently watching Spence as he interacted with Henry. Enjoying the image of them together and wondering if even though Spence was Henry's godfather in this reality, if he loved Henry like a son, wondering what it would be like to start a new life together from this point forward.

Henry, in his childhood innocence and obliviousness, merely enjoyed his breakfast with his two favorite people in the whole wide world. His Mommy and his Uncle Spence.

JJ decided to break the ice and cleared her throat after taking a sip of coffee. "Maybe… you'd like to spend the next couple of weeks over the holidays with us Spence… I mean unless you've already got plans?" she asked looking at Spence hopefully over the table as they continued to eat breakfast.

"I…I …umm….what about Will….don't you guys already have holiday plans?" Spence asked confused.

JJ shook her head. "We don't have any plans this year. And um….can we talk about Will later?" She asked looking meaningfully at Henry who sat in his high chair attempting to feed himself his breakfast. "When there aren't little ears in the room?" she asked as she turned to look at Spence.

"Okay…I um…sure…I'll ... uh… pack stuff to stay for a while then." Spence said smiling slightly at JJ as he tried to work out in his genius brain what was going on with his best friend.

Spence ran home, showered, changed into clean clothes, and threw some items in a bag so he could spend the holidays with JJ and Henry. He grabbed their already wrapped gifts on the way out the door and headed back to where his two favorite people were waiting to spend the day with him.

After a day of vigorous play with 2 year old Henry, JJ and Spence tucked the small boy into bed together, as Henry had insisted, and then they went downstairs to relax.

After a moment of sitting in silence, Spence turned to face JJ "So… do you want to talk about whatever it is that's going on with you and Will? You'll feel better, and you know I'm a good listener."

"Spence..." JJ paused. "I do….want to talk about it, that is. Why don't you start a fire and I'll go get us something to drink." JJ said as she stood from the couch and walked toward the kitchen.

Spence watched her go, wondering what it was that had her so out of sorts today. She had seemed fine yesterday. He shook himself from his thoughts and rose from the couch to employ himself at building the requested fire in the fireplace.

JJ returned to the living room from the kitchen moments later to find that Spence had turned off the overhead ceiling light in favor of a lamp and that the fire was roaring nicely in the fireplace. She sat the wine bottle, glasses, and a plate of cheese, crackers, and grapes on the table. She poured them each a glass of wine and then leaned back into the couch and began explaining the long tale of what had happened with Will.

"….and I think the saddest part of the whole thing is that I don't mind that we're over and he's moving a thousand miles away…..the only person I'm sad for in this situation is Henry." JJ said as she wrapped up telling the tale of the end of her relationship and romance with one Will LaMontagne.

"For what it's worth JJ, I'm sorry. I know you thought he was the one…." Spence said.

"Actually" JJ said interrupting Spence. "I never did, think Will was the one that is, I've been in love with someone else the whole time and I just never had the courage to tell them because I didn't know if they felt the same." JJ almost whispered as she shyly looked down at her lap afraid to look at Spence and what she would see in his eyes at her admission.

"JJ…I don't understand. Who were you in love with this whole time? Whoever it is, they'd be crazy not to love you back." Spence said his heart breaking that while she was no longer with Will, she was already in love with someone else.

JJ looked up at Spence surprised that he hadn't figured out her large clue…but then again that was just how her adorable genius was. Give him a puzzle, an enigma, the file of thirty year old unsolved crime, a graduate level calculus problem, and he could solve the problem in mere minutes…..give him the tell-tale truth of your emotions and how you felt about him served up on a silver platter, and it would go right over his head. "You" JJ said as she locked gazes with him.

"M… m… m… me?' Spence stuttered and squeaked.

JJ giggled and nodded. "It's always been you Spence. I wanted to continue dating you after the football game, but then you gave that speech about maybe we should just be friends…..and I figured you didn't feel anything for me. But then we got really close… and I thought maybe you did have feelings for me….I mean we did everything together….I was going to ask you out after we spent all that time together watching the Superbowl and then we went to Georgia. It was like having my heart ripped out of my chest when Tobias Hankel had you." JJ said as tears ran down her face remembering her horror at Spence's abduction. "God..it was my worst nightmare come true…I was so relieved when we found you and you were okay….except you weren't okay….and nobody said anything about … I should have been there for you Spence….I …."

"JJ it's not your fault. You tried a couple of times and I pushed you away remember?" Spence said wrapping his arm around JJ's shoulder to comfort her.

JJ nodded and sniffled. "And then we had the case in New Orleans and I met Will….and he flirted with me….and it felt good to know how he actually felt about me instead of having to guess like I did with you. But then you got better…. You were able to put Hankel behind you and get off the dilaudid."

"You knew?" Spence almost whispered.

"Spence," JJ said softly. "We all knew, we just didn't know how to help you when you wouldn't let us. Those months when you wouldn't let any of us in and you were snapping at everyone, I think those were the scariest months of my life. I was afraid I was going to lose you….but thank God I didn't." JJ said shuddering. "So I was secretly dating Will…and you were back to normal for the most part. And I was so confused. I felt torn. I wanted to be with you…but you ….well I just wasn't sure where I stood with you or how you would take me telling you that I loved you. I reached the point of deciding that it wasn't fair to Will when we were in Miami on that case where his partner was murdered. I realized that it wasn't fair to expect him to keep our relationship hidden…and I wanted to keep it hidden because I didn't want you to know….I wanted to seem available in case you were ever ready….Then Emily told me I should go for it…and I thought maybe it was silly of me to put off my life waiting for you….and maybe if I tried I could love Will." JJ said pausing for a moment and looking up into Spence's eyes.

"Then I found out I was pregnant and at first it was like being punched in the gut." JJ continued. "I knew then that I really had to try ….and for a while I convinced myself that I did love Will… he was so sweet when I told him I was pregnant and it almost made up for the fact that he wasn't you. Then he flew he came to New York and sprung the fact that I was pregnant on all of you and that he had proposed ….and I saw the crushed look on your face for a split second…but then you were so happy for us and congratulating us…and I just got more confused. I talked Will into making you and Garcia the baby's God parents….he'd wanted it to either be my brother Alex and sister-in-law Kim or a buddy of his and his wife….I held my ground because I wanted the baby to have God parents that would always be a part of their life, no matter what. You have no idea how jealous I was hearing from Morgan about that girl Austin that you had flirted with and started dating after saving her on a case. I kept telling myself that Will and I needed to work for Henry….I convinced myself that he needed his parents to be together…"

Spence wrapped his arms around JJ and pulled her closer as she rested her head on his chest. "What Henry needs is for his parents to be happy." Spence said. "You both love him and that's what he needs. That's what's important, that you are both there for him."

JJ nodded. "I know that now. It just took me awhile to get there." JJ said as looked up Spence, smiling as she wiped the tears off her cheeks. "So to make an entirely too long story short, it has always been you Spence. I love you." JJ said looking up at her best friend and what she hoped would after tonight be her boyfriend.

"JJ" Spence said pausing as his voice cracked and he cleared his throat.

JJ winced at the delayed response, beginning to worry that she had been correct to hold back in sharing her feelings all these years.

Spence noticed the worry creeping across JJ's beautiful face. "I love you too, JJ. It's always been you for me too. I tried dating other people but after dating Austin, I realized that no one would ever replace you. I uh…I never thought that you liked me after how badly our date at the football game went."

JJ chuckled. "Spence, I had a good time. Just because you didn't know what was going on and stuck out a little bit in a shirt, sweater vest and tie….none of that mattered to me. Remember when you spilled your beer?" JJ asked.

Spence winced as he remembered the embarrassing incident of spilling his beer on the person sitting in front of him. "Yeah but what does that have to do with anything?"

"Spence" JJ sighed. "I was trying to hold your hand and you jerked and that's what made you spill your beer….when you jerked like that…and then you told me maybe we should just be friends….well I thought maybe I misunderstood, because I thought you liked me."

"I did…I do…I love you. I thought you wanted to use the armrest or I was invading your space or something at the game…..so wait….the only reason we haven't been together this whole time is because of a misunderstanding?" Spence asked as he looked wide eyed at JJ.

JJ bit her lip and nodded. "But the misunderstanding is straightened out and we can be together now." JJ said rising up on her knees to be at an even level with Spence. She wrapped her arms around Spence's neck and leaned into kiss him.

Spence wrapped his arms around JJ's waist as she leaned into kiss him. He moaned softly at the taste of wine on her lips and then it was over all too quick as he felt her pull away. "Wow" he said softly, mesmerized as JJ pulled away.

JJ smiled and sank back down on her seat next to him. "So, Spence…do you …do you um think that there are alternate universe's co-existing with ours?" JJ asked hesitantly as she looked up at him.

"I ….uh….what?" Spence asked, still in a fuzzy haze from JJ's kiss and confused over her question.

"Parallel universes? Do they exist?" JJ asked wanting to know if right now there were another Spence and JJ out there somewhere happily married, with a daughter named Chloe, a son named Henry, and a baby on the way.

"Um well….." Spence paused, worried about the effect rambling on about quantum physics would have on her, but then he saw the questioning look in JJ's eyes. "The Multiverse Theory of quantum physics posits the existence of parallel universes, and infinite number of every growing alternate realities that exist concurrently with our own." Spence explained. "The theory holds that anything that can happen will happen, if not in this reality then in another. We're part of a metaverse, in which individual sub-universes are continually being generated. There are several theories regarding exactly how the new sub-universes our generated. The most frequently postulated theory is that every time a decision is made, new sub-universes split off for every decision that wasn't made but could have been."

"So they do exist?" JJ asked.

"In theory, yes. Why?" Spence asked.

JJ nodded and began to explain to him everything that she had either experienced in the last six years or that she had dreamt about last night. "….I guess, I would prefer that it wasn't just a dream." JJ said as she wiped tears from the corner or her eyes. "It's nice to think that that you and I were very happy together, that Chloe Jane Reid exists and is a cute little girl, that there you are Henry's Daddy, and that we have a baby on the way….and that it wasn't just a dream….that it's still real for them…"

Spence's heart was in his throat as JJ described the life he had dreamt about every time he closed his eyes and had good dreams for the last six years. Sure in his dreams…the babies had different names…but there had certainly been babies…lots and lots of babies. As scared as he might be about having children share his genes in the real world, it was still something he dreamed about all the time, especially with JJ as their mother. "Then it can be real JJ. You don't have to think of it as a dream. And it's a nice thought to think of Elle and Gideon still being part of the team…I …I miss them too." He said leaning down and resting his forehead on the crown of her head.

"Okay we are getting entirely too sad. We should be happy." JJ said and then stood up from the couch. She walked across the living room and turned on the very same radio she had been listening to yesterday afternoon when Spence had shown up on her doorstep.

"Come on Spence." JJ said walking back to the couch and grabbing Spence's hands. "Come and dance with me."

"JJ, I don't dance." Spence said shaking his head.

"Spence, baby, it's only us. No one else will see. And it's slow. Come on, baby, please?" JJ begged with a smile on her face.

Spence's breath caught in his throat at JJ calling him baby. He nodded and stood up, unable to resist JJ's charm.

JJ sighed as she rested her head on Spence's shoulder and he wrapped his arms around her waist and held her close and then as they began to sway softly and slowly together in time to the music, the perfect song came on.

Looking back from where I stand tonight  
>I wouldn't change a thing about my life<br>Wrong turns I had to take back in those crazy years  
>Could not have been mistakes if they brought me here<p>

'Cause all my roads have led me to  
>This night, this love I share with you<br>And though the road was never smooth  
>Life has made me someone who<br>Could be the right someone for you

JJ couldn't help but realize as the music from the radio washed over she and Spence, that everything she and Spence had been through had led them here. Falling in love with her best friend was the best thing, well second best thing she'd ever done. Henry was the best thing she'd ever done. The song was right, the road had never been smooth for she and Spence; but when you knew what you were missing out on, you didn't take it for granted when you got it.

I don't regret a single broken heart  
>That taught me what love is and what it's not<br>Someone must have planned our two paths would cross  
>I couldn't see it then but I was never lost<p>

'Cause all my roads have led me to  
>This night, this love I share with you<br>And though the road was never smooth  
>Life has made me someone who<br>Could be the right someone for you

Spence felt JJ shift in his arms and look up at him. As he stood here, holding her in his arms, like he never thought he would, he realized that if going through the last 6 years of being apart even though they could have been together the whole time was what it took for them to be together now and to make it work so that they never had to be apart again, then it was worth it. It had all been worth it. Every ounce of pain at the hands of Hankel, every stab of pain and jealousy when Will had announced in New York that JJ was pregnant and he had proposed, holding Henry for the first time and longingly looking into the baby boy's blue eyes that matched his mother's and wishing he were Henry's father… all of it was worth it if it meant being together now.

Detours, dead ends, endless explorations  
>You were my only destination<p>

'Cause all my roads have led me to  
>This night, this love I share with you<br>And though the road was never smooth  
>Life has made me someone who<br>Could be the right someone for you  
><em>- All My Roads - Collin Raye<em>

JJ and Spence stared into each other's eyes as the song played in the background. And then JJ found herself staring at his lips as they approached closer. Then her eyes closed as Spence's lips crashed down on hers. Her fingers tangled in Spence's hair as their lips plundered each others; searching, seeking, exploring. And then when they both came up desperate for oxygen, Spence's forehead rested on JJ's as they continued swaying to the music, caught up in the magic of the moment.

As they danced they held each other tighter, each afraid that it was only a dream, as they danced slowly in front of the fireplace gazing in each other's eyes, lost in the moment.

I really hate to let this moment go,  
>touching your skin and your hair falling slow,<br>When a goodbye kiss, feels like this

Spence lifted his hand and ran his fingers through JJ's hair watching her, studying her as if he was attempting to commit everything about her to memory. And then he leaned down to kiss her again, enjoying the heady, intoxicating feeling.

Don't you wanna stay here a little while,  
>Don't you wanna hold each other tight,<br>Don't you wanna fall asleep with me tonight,  
>Don't you wanna stay here a little while,<br>We can make forever feel this way,  
>Don't you wanna stay<p>

Let's take it slow I don't want to move too fast,  
>I Don't wanna just make love, I wanna make love last,<br>When your off this cab, It's a sad goodbye...

As their lips parted, JJ realized that as much as she wanted for them to pick up right where they left off in the other life, they couldn't. It wouldn't be fair to them or to Henry. They needed to pace themselves and take things slow, but then she supposed this was a new relationship. Just because you knew the destination, didn't mean you couldn't enjoy the journey. Isn't that what they said anyway? Life's a journey, not a destination.

Don't you wanna stay here a little while,  
>Don't you wanna hold each other tight,<br>Don't you wanna fall asleep with me tonight,  
>Don't you wanna stay here a little while,<br>We can make forever feel this way,  
>Don't you wanna stay<br>_- Don't You Want To Stay – Jason Aldean (with Kelly Clarkson)_

JJ swallowed thickly and took a deep breath, "We should probably get some sleep. Henry will be up and wanting to play early tomorrow." she said smiling up at Spence.

Spence nodded, his Adam's apply bobbing as he attempted to catch his breath and keep his heart from exploding out of his chest.

JJ took Spence's hand and led him up the stairs to the door of the guest bedroom. "I… um changed the sheets and made the bed while you ran home this morning… I put your bag in there earlier so you should be all set… sooo… "

"JJ" Spence smiled as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. "did you forget, the rambling is my job?" and then he leaned down and kissed her softly. "Goodnight."

JJ smiled as Spence pulled away and wiped her thumb over his lower lip. "Goodnight. I love you."

"I love you too. I'll see you in the morning." Spence said squeezing her in his arms in a hug and then kissing her softly one more time before he slipped into the guest bedroom where sweet dreams waited for him.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapters 2 are up. I hope you all enjoy them both.

I don't own Criminal Minds, but Santa, if you're out there reading this...

Happy and safe holidays to all, however you may celebrate them.

Happy reading and enjoy :D

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><p>JJ stretched in her bed as she woke up, her hand fumbling across the empty pillow beside her own, in which her face was currently buried. Then, as wakefulness set in, she remembered that the other side of the bed wasn't empty because her bedmate had already gotten up, but because she hadn't had one. She rolled over in bed, looking at the ceiling as she thought of the strange twist and turn of events. Then she smiled remembering not only the conversation she and Spence had last night, but also the kiss. Then it occurred to her that this would be their first Christmas together, at least in this reality, and a grin lit up her face at the thought of all of the fun they would have.<p>

"Mama?" Henry's voice came softly across the baby monitor that sat on her nightstand. "Mama?" he called out again.

JJ flipped of the covers and swung herself over the side of the bed as she moved to collect Henry from his crib.

"Good morning baby boy." JJ said, kissing Henry on the side of the head as she scooped him up out of his crib. She reached over and opened up the top dresser drawer and grabbed a pair of big boy pants for Henry. "How about we go potty and put some big boy pants on and then you can wake up Uncle Spence?"

"Unca 'pence hewe?" Henry asked as he and Mommy moved down the hall to the bathroom.

"He is." JJ said "He's going to spend the next couple of weeks here with us for Christmas and New Year's, remember?"

Henry nodded. "Uh huh"

JJ sat Henry down on his feet in the bathroom and helped him out of his pajama pants and his pull up. "Do you need help?"

Henry shook his head. "No I do it."

"Okay big boy." JJ replied with a smile and watched as Henry pulled over his step stool so that he could reach the potty.

Once Henry had gone potty, washed his hands, and had a pair of big boy pants on, they headed back down the hall to the guest bedroom. JJ couldn't help but wonder if Spence liked to sleep in as much in this reality as he had in the other.

When they reached the door of the guest room, JJ knocked softly, while resting one hand on Henry's shoulder. "Spence?" she called out.

At the sound of a muffled come in, she opened the door and let go of Henry's shoulder. The toddler zipped over to the side of the bed and was attempting to climb up into the bed with Uncle Spence by the time Mommy made it across the room.

JJ had to laugh, not only at the sight of Henry attempting to climb up into the bed, but also at the sight of the Spence shaped lump in the bed, as he had the covers pulled all the way up and his head buried under a pillow, hiding his face from the daylight streaming in through the window.

She scooped up Henry once she reached the side of the bed and sat him on the bed. She sat down on the edge of the bed, watching to see what Henry would do.

"Unca 'pence?" Henry said kneeling next to the Spence shaped lump and poking at it.

"Hey Henry" Spence's muffled voice replied from underneath the pillow.

"You wate up. We pway." Henry said poking again at his blanket and pillow covered Uncle.

"No, let's sleep a little longer." Spence replied, his arm snaking up out of the covers, finding Henry, and pulling the boy down next to him.

Henry wiggled and squirmed as he tried to break free from his Uncle's grip. "Unca 'pence wate up!"

"You know Henry" JJ said conspiratorially "I bet Uncle Spence is ticklish."

Spence lifted the pillow unseen by Henry, and gave JJ a lazy grin, letting her know that he was just playing.

"Unca 'pence" Henry said softly and then managed to escape from his Uncle's grasp and push the covers down, revealing Spence's upper body. "Tickwe tickwe" Henry said giggling as he tickled Uncle Spence's belly.

Spence laughed and threw off the pillow covering his face and rolled onto his back. As he rolled, he grabbed Henry and held the boy up above him. "Good morning Henry." He said as the little boy laughed. Then he lowered Henry and sat up, pulling the little boy into his lap. "Good morning Jayje." He said glancing at JJ, whose eyes he could feel on him.

"Good morning Spence." JJ said softly, her eyes on his lips, longing to give him a good morning kiss.

Spence cleared his throat attempting to push his desire to kiss JJ good morning to the back of his mind, unsure if it would be appropriate to do so in front of Henry yet. "So… um… what's on tap for today?" he asked as he glanced back and forth between Henry who was happily sitting in his lap, and JJ who was wearing the biggest and most beautiful smile he'd ever seen on her face.

"Well we have a lot to do this week to get ready for Christmas, but I was wondering, if you wouldn't mind, if you'd help me get Henry's big boy bed put together?" JJ replied.

"Big boy bed huh?" Spence asked as he looked down at his godson. "That's sounds great. Just think then we'll be able to read bedtime stories in your bed Henry."

Henry's eyes lit up and he nodded.

JJ smiled. "Then we need to get a Christmas tree, and decorate."

And then Henry's tummy gurgled causing the little boy to laugh. JJ and Spence laughed too.

"Sounds like somebody's a hungry boy this morning." JJ said. "What should we have for breakfast baby?"

"Tell you what." Spence said as he flipped the covers back and wiggled to the side of the bed with Henry in his arms. "Why don't Henry and I take care of breakfast while you take a shower and get ready?"

"Spence you don't have to…" JJ started to say and then trailed off as Spence interrupted her.

"It's okay. I want to." He said and then summoning his courage, he leaned in and kissed her good morning.

"Okay" JJ replied slightly dazed by Spence's kiss, brief and chaste though it was.

Spence smiled at JJ and then stood up from the bed. "So what should we make Mommy for breakfast buddy?" he asked Henry as they walked towards the door.

JJ smiled as she listened to Henry and Spence talk to each other as they moved down the hall to the stairs, their voices drifting back to her. As nervous as they both were, she realized, they'd figure it out and how to move forward. And then she stood up and moved to her room to take a shower and get ready for the day.

* * *

><p>"Okay, the breakfast dishes are done. I'm ready to…" JJ trailed off at the sight of Spence and Henry seated together on Henry's big boy bed reading a story. "help." She finished in confusion. "Spence, how did you get this put together so quick?" she asked as she joined them on Henry's big boy bed which his crib had converted into.<p>

Spence smirked. "Three doctorates Jayje, one of which is in engineering, did you think that converting a crib into a toddler bed would slow me down at all?"

"Well… I… no." JJ shook her head. "I didn't expect you to have problems, but I did expect it to take a little longer, or for you to need some help."

"Ah, but I did have help." Spence as he ruffled Henry's hair causing him to giggle. "My little buddy here handed me tools and kept me company.'

JJ's eyebrows rose. "How did you manage that?"

Spence shrugged. "Easy, we made it a game. Plus Henry was excited to be able to help put his big boy bed together weren't you bud?"

Henry nodded as he looked up from the picture book he'd been looking at. "Mama I hewp."

"I heard baby. I'm proud of you for helping Uncle Spence. Do you like your big boy bed?" JJ asked as she reached out and smoothed Henry's ruffled and messed up hair.

"Uh huh" Henry said nodding his head as he leaned against Uncle Spence's side.

"Well since you boys are all done putting together the bed, how about we go pick out a tree and pick up some decorations?" JJ asked.

"Go bye bye?" Henry asked.

Mommy nodded.

"Unca 'Pence come wit?" Henry asked.

"Yes, baby Uncle Spence is coming with. Maybe you and Uncle Spence can pick out the tree while Mommy picks out everything else." JJ said as she looked back and forth between Spence and Henry.

"Oh wow Henry. Mommy gave us a very important job." Spence said as he looked down at Henry.

* * *

><p>"Okay, how about this one buddy?" Spence asked the bundled up little boy that he was carrying in his arms through the Christmas tree lot.<p>

Henry shook his head 'no' and then pointed to a different tree on the opposite side of the aisle that they were looking at. "Dat one."

Spence walked across the aisle to the Christmas tree. "You're right Henry, that's a very nice tree." He said and then looked down at Henry. "Do you think Mommy will like it?"

"What are you wondering if Mommy will like?" JJ asked as she walked up the aisle meet them after picking out the other greenery they needed for the house this year.

"Mama we get dis twee" Henry said pointing at the tree he'd picked out that he and Uncle Spence were standing beside.

"Great choice Henry." JJ said as she looked at the tree that had to be about seven feet tall, as it was about a foot taller than Spence. By the time they trimmed the trunk, got it in the tree stand, and then got it decorated with a star at the top; it would be the perfect height for the living room. "That is the perfect tree." JJ said as she stepped up next to Spence and kissed Henry on the nose while wrapping an arm around Spence's waist.

* * *

><p>"What do you think Henry?" Spence asked as he stepped back from the tree to see if it was straight.<p>

Henry sat on the floor looking up at the Christmas tree that towered above him. "Big twee" he said in an awe filled voice.

"You're right." Spence said nodding as he knelt down next to Henry and picked the boy up. "Do you want to see something cool?" he asked as he looked at his godson.

Henry nodded as he looked at his Uncle Spence.

Spence reached out with his foot and tapped the on button for the Christmas tree lights. "What do you think of that buddy?"

Henry's eyes grew big. "Whoa" Henry gasped.

JJ smiled as she entered the living room. "Wow you guys got really far with the tree." She said as she walked up next to Spence and Henry. "Do you want to help Mommy put your ornament on the tree baby?" she asked holding her hands out to Henry who reached for her.

JJ pulled the lid of the box of Christmas ornaments and found Henry's 'Baby's First Christmas' ornament and together they hung it up on the middle of the tree. Then picked a few more ornaments out of the box. She handed one to Spence, she handed one to Henry, and she kept one for herself and then they began to decorate the tree together. At the culminating moment, Spence lifted Henry up put the star on the top of the tree.

"We did a pretty good job of decorating." JJ said with a smile as she came down the stairs from tucking Henry in for his nap and wrapped her arms around Spence who was standing with his hands on his hips looking around the living room at the decorations.

The tree was up, lit, and fully decorated. Stockings hung above the fireplace. A bough of holly was wrapped around the open banister of the stairs. Although it wasn't visible, a wreath hung on the front door. Also not visible at the moment, there were also the various sprigs of mistletoe that JJ had playfully hung in various doorways, unbeknownst to Spence.

"Henry's asleep?" Spence asked as they sat down together on the couch.

JJ nodded. "I had to promise him several times that Uncle Spence would still be here when he woke up though. He loves spending time with you. He loves you." JJ said as she looked up at Spence.

"I love him too JJ." Spence said softly as he thought about the fact that Christmas wasn't even actually here yet, but it was already shaping up to be the best he'd ever had.

"He's not the only one." JJ said as she turned to face Spence and pulled her legs up underneath her on the couch.

"You don't say?" Spence replied with a soft smile. "I suppose he got a pet fish or a turtle that you haven't told me about yet?" he said teasingly.

"I was talking about me you dork." JJ said laughing as she swatted Spence's chest.

Spence laughed. "I know. I love you too by the way." He said leaning down and kissing JJ.

"Mm" JJ moaned as she leaned into the kiss and her arm rose to wrap itself around Spence's neck and her finger's tangled in the hair at the nape of his neck, while Spence's arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer.

Eventually however, air became a necessity and they each pulled back panting to catch their breath slightly while lay against the back of the couch just looking at each other.

"I don't think I'm ever going to get tired of that." Spence said with a grin, causing JJ to laugh. And then they spent the remainder of Henry's nap cuddled up on the couch talking.

* * *

><p>JJ stood waiting for Spence and Henry at the entrance of the mall where they'd agreed to meet, with the last of her shopping bags in her hand. She'd been pretty much done before, but she'd needed to pick up a few last minute things. Her eyes got big as she watched Spence and Henry walking up to meet her. With a shopping cart. Completely filled. With what appeared to be bags from the toy store. "Spence, no… you can't just…."<p>

Spence got a look of confusion on his face and then he glanced down at the contents of the shopping cart and quickly realized what she was thinking. He shook his head. "JJ, these aren't for Henry and he knows that. Don't you buddy?" he asked as he lifted the little boy out of the cart.

"Then who?" JJ asked in confusion as she looked from the cart full of toys to Spence and back again.

"Henry, do you want to tell Mommy who we bought toys for?" Spence asked as he shuffled through the bags of the cart looking for the right one and pulled it out of the cart.

"Dey for boys an girls got no toys Mama" Henry replied.

"Can you grab the cart Jayje?" Spence asked softly and then he walked with Henry over to the 'Toys for Tots' bin by the door of the mall. He set Henry down on his feet and knelt down next to him and held open the bag. "Okay big guy, which one should we put in first?" Spence asked as he and Henry looked in the bag.

JJ watched with tears in her eyes as her little boy one by one pulled the toys out of the bag that Uncle Spence held open and dropped the toys in the collection bin.

"Mama, you see me?" Henry asked as he ran back towards Mommy.

"I did baby. Good job. " JJ said as she knelt down to catch Henry and looked up at Spence and smiled. "So what about all the other toys?" she asked as she stood back up with Henry in his arms.

"Those are for the Christmas program at the Children's hospital." Spence said. "I go every year and do a magic show for the kids. All of the volunteers, we split up the kids to make sure they all get presents."

JJ nodded remembering going with Spence the previous five years, in another lifetime. "So what time do we need to be there?" she asked, shifting Henry on her hip while Spence picked up the remaining bags from the cart and put the cart away.

"You… you want to go with?" Spence asked as he paused to look at JJ.

"Of course I do. We would have come before if you would have ever told anyone. You know everybody would have loved to volunteer for something like that."

Spence shrugged. "I'm usually the only one who doesn't have holiday plans, so…"

"Didn't have holiday plans. You have holiday plans this year and from now on." JJ replied as they headed out the doors of the mall and for the SUV.

* * *

><p>JJ sat with Henry in her lap watching as Spence worked his way through the crowd of sick children, not sick in the sense of having a cold or the flu, but fighting for their lives against leukemia, aplastic anemia, carcinoma, and a hundred other illnesses that no one should ever have to suffer through, let alone a child. Sitting here, with her healthy baby boy in her lap, she realized just how much she really had to be thankful for.<p>

Spence moved about the room, he pulled coins from behind some of the kids' ears, he made a coin disappear in his hands and then reappear, he pulled scarves out of his hands, he levitated himself on a chair and then again standing up in front of the room. But his specialty, especially in large crowds like this and with him being from Vegas, was card tricks.

"Okay Lucy, pick a card, any card." He said holding out the deck and waiting as the little girl pulled a card out of the deck. Once Lucy had pulled a card out of the deck, he spoke again. "Okay, remember your card. You can even show your card to your friends if you want, just don't show me or tell me what card it was."

He smiled as Lucy showed her friends the card and one of them whispered something to her and then they both giggled. "Okay, put your card back in the deck." He waited as Lucy put her card back in the deck.

All of the kids were on the edge of their seats as they waited to see the rest of the trick. Spence shuffled the cards and then he pulled a card out of the deck and held it out to Lucy. "Is this your card?" he asked.

Lucy giggled and shook her head no.

"Huh… I could have sworn…" Spence replied appearing confused.

JJ looked on in disbelief. She'd never seen Spence mess up a magic trick. Ever.

Spence reshuffled the cards and tried again. "Is this your card?" he asked.

Lucy giggled again and shook her head no.

Spence screwed his face up into a funny looking perplexed look. "I must have done something wrong Lucy. Let's find your card." He said as flipped through the entire deck of cards showing each card to Lucy and leaving it on the table in front of her after asking her if it was her card. She and all of the other kids laughed a little bit louder each time as the answer was always no.

And then Spence was out of cards in his hand. He tapped his finger on his chin as he looked down at Lucy. "You're not secretly a magician are you Lucy?" he asked.

Lucy giggled and shook her head no.

"Are you sure you put the card back in the deck?" Spence asked teasingly. "You didn't put the card in the sleeve of your robe or in your pocket did you?" he asked with a smile on his face.

Lucy again shook her head and giggled.

"Hmm… where could the card be?" Spence asked as he looked around the room at all of the kids. "Can you all do me a favor? Can you check and see if any of you ended up with Lucy's card?" he asked.

The kids all scrambled to look and see if they had any playing cards in their pockets, but no one had Lucy's card.

"This is very strange. In fact this has never happened to me before." Spence said as he paced.

JJ watched Spence pace, wondering what he was doing.

And then Spence stopped and looked at the kids. "You know, I think I know where Lucy's card might have ended up." Spence said.

"Where? Where? Where?" All of the kids asked.

Spence walked over to JJ. "Did you guys all get a chance to meet my friend JJ?" Spence asked as he walked over to where JJ and Henry sat.

"Hi JJ!" All of the kids shouted, enjoying Spence's show.

"Hi" JJ replied back as she turned to look at the kids and then she shivered as she felt Spence run his fingers through her hair.

When she turned back around Spence was holding up a playing card, which he continued to hold up as he walked over and knelt down in front of Lucy.

"So Lucy, is this your card?" Spence asked.

"Yes" Lucy replied softly while nodding her head. At Lucy's confirmation, all of the kids cheered.

* * *

><p>"Come on Spence." JJ begged as Spence followed her in the house carrying Henry. "I promise not to tell anyone how you did it."<p>

Spence chuckled. "Sorry JJ, but a magician never reveals his secrets."

JJ smiled up at Spence. "Drat. I thought for sure I'd convince you to tell me." She said and then leaned up and kissed him. "Henry baby, should we open a present and then get ready for Santa to come?" she asked Henry where he sat perched in his Uncle Spence's arms.

"Pwesents?" Henry asked as he reached out for Mommy.

"Just one tonight baby. We get to open the rest of our presents tomorrow after we see what Santa brought you." JJ said as she peeled Henry's coat off of him and then slipped out of her own, hanging them both up and then she took Henry from Spence so he could remove his own outerwear.

JJ waited for Spence to join them in the living room and then she handed Henry to him while she turned the lights of the tree on and pulled three gifts out from underneath the tree. Then she sat down on the couch next to Spence and handed one of the presents to Henry and one of the presents to Spence.

"Go ahead baby boy, open it." JJ encouraged Henry as she helped him find a corner and start to tear the wrapping paper off. JJ smiled as Henry got into opening his present and threw the paper off to the side.

"Dinos" Henry squealed when he saw his new Christmas pajamas that sported dinosaurs. Then he held them up to show Uncle Spence. "Rawr, rawr, rawr" he said trying to sound like a ferocious dinosaur in a cute little baby boy voice, which caused Mommy and Uncle Spence to laugh.

Of course when Spence opened his present, he too had received new Christmas pajamas, an incredibly soft t-shirt and a pair of flannel pajama pants. JJ too received new Christmas pajamas, although she wasn't too surprised, having bought them for herself this year.

After having prepared a plate of cookies and a glass of milk for Santa, giving Henry a bath and changing him into his new pajamas and getting him to sleep, JJ and Spence sat on the couch in their new pajamas enjoying a few quiet moments together now that Santa had put his deliveries out underneath the tree and filled the stockings. Santa had also taken great care to eat all of the cookies and drink the milk that Henry had left out for him.

"So why new pajamas?" Spence asked as they sat cuddled up together on the couch.

JJ smiled as she lifted her head from Spence's chest. "Every year when I was a little girl, my parents let my brother, sister, and I open one gift on Christmas Eve. It was always a new pair of pajamas." She said with a soft smile on her face as she remembered the Christmases before her family had been ripped apart. "We'd get up the next morning and open presents and have a late breakfast in our pjs. I really missed it when…" JJ trailed off.

"JJ, what is it? You know you can tell me anything." Spence said softly as he reached out and tucked a stray strand of blonde hair between JJ's ear.

JJ cleared her throat. "When I was eleven…" JJ said tearing up as she began to tell Spence about the horrible car crash that had robbed her and her siblings of their parents at a young age. And if that hadn't been bad enough, when her sister hadn't been able to cope with the grief, she taken her own life.

"Are you okay?" Spence whispered in her ear as he held her tightly.

JJ nodded her head and leaned back from Spence's chest, where her face had been buried. She rubbed at the tear marks she'd left on his chest, and then she looked up at him. "So that's why I wanted to carry on the Christmas pajama tradition. It helps me remember the happy Christmases that I had with my parents and my sister. Plus my brother Alex does it with his family too."

Spence nodded. "It's good to have traditions. I… we didn't have any traditions really when I was a kid, at least none that my parents passed on, but I wish we would have. Like you said, it's something to help you remember loved ones after they've passed on. Traditions connect generations together and give you sense of history."

JJ nodded and stood up from the couch and pulled Spence up by the hand. "Come on, we need to get to bed."

Spence nodded and followed JJ up the stairs, his hand wrapped around hers and their fingers linked together.

"Goodnight JJ" he said when they stopped outside her bedroom door. He kissed her softly and then rested his forehead on hers. Then he moved to pull away and head to the guest bedroom, however JJ didn't let go of his hands.

JJ shook her head. "Spence, sleep with me." She said gently tugging on his hands.

"JJ" Spence squeaked. "I…"

"I actually really did mean sleep baby." She said as she leaned up to kiss Spence and then lingered to whisper in his ear. "Trust me, I would have worn much different pajamas than flannel pants and a t-shirt if I was trying to seduce you."

This time Spence groaned. "Now I will never get to sleep."

JJ chuckled softly as she walked backwards, leading Spence by his hands into her bedroom. "Spence, you've been my boyfriend for almost a week now… I think you bound to start having those thoughts sometime." She said playfully as she let go of one of his hands and turned to pull down the covers of the bed.

"Those thoughts aren't exactly a recent development." Spence mumbled as he climbed into the bed next to JJ and pulled the covers back over them as she snuggled into his side.

"Poor baby" JJ crooned as she rubbed her hand over Spence's chest and belly and then giggled as he tickled her sides for a brief moment. When she managed to stop laughing, she looked up at Spence. "Spence?" she asked as she propped herself up to be able to see his face and his gorgeous eyes.

"Yeah JJ?" Spence replied.

"I love you." JJ said softly.

"I love you too JJ." Spence replied. "I … this is the best Christmas I've ever had." He whispered as he rolled on to his side so that he and JJ were face to face.

JJ smiled. "This is the best Christmas I've ever had too. The two people I love most are both under the same roof."

Spence smiled and kissed her softly and then they cuddled up together in their Christmas pajamas to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

I am so sorry about how long its taken to update. I by no means meant to make you all wait this long, but the holidays were crazy and then it was year end in work.

It might be about a week or so before the next updates - I need to watch the rest of season 6 again, make notes, and get everything plotted out since from this point on things get well - you all remember what happened the last half of season six - I need to get it all laid out - at least roughly and then we'll be back to handling cases - which I know you are all looking forward to :D

I don't own Criminal Minds.

Happy reading and enjoy :D

* * *

><p>JJ sighed and snuggled more deeply into Spence's chest as she woke up. Her hand danced along his belly and then up his side as she enjoyed the feeling of waking up in his arms, a feeling that she had been missing ever since she woke up back in her old life.<p>

Spence woke to the extremely pleasant feeling of JJ in his arms. He smiled, staring at the ceiling, as he realized that his fingers had been tracing the line of the bottom hem of her t-shirt and strip of skin that was exposed in the expanse between where the hem of her t-shirt had ridden up in her sleep and the waist of her pajama pants.

He turned his head and to look down at JJ hoping to be able to watch her sleep for a few moments, only to find that she was watching him.

"Hi" JJ said softly, with an encouraging smile on her face.

"Hi" Spence replied, his voice gravelly and husky from sleep.

JJ shifted her elbow to the outside of Spence's shoulder, using it to prop herself up above him. Then she leaned down and kissed him softly and slowly, her tongue tracing the seam of his lips.

Spence moaned into the kiss as his lips parted and his and JJ's tongues began to dance together, playing tag as they caressed each other.

JJ gasped as Spence tightened his grip on her back, and then giggled as he rolled them over; so that he was now on top, his hand gripped her side, his thumb gently stroking the soft skin of her belly and her hip. Her hands shifted, one hand slipping up Spence's back underneath the soft cotton of his t-shirt, her fingers tracing his spine and rib cage. Her other hand raised to cup his head, holding him close while her fingers tangled in and ruffled the disarray that was his morning bedhead.

"Well that was quite the pleasant wake up call." Spence murmured softly as he pulled back with a soft smile etched into the morning scruff on his face.

JJ nodded in agreement, her eyes flitting back and forth between her boyfriend's gorgeous eyes and his very kissable lips. She leaned up giving him a soft peck on the lips, once, twice, three times. Then she slipped her hand down his shadow of a beard covered jaw line and traced her thumb across his bottom lip. "We should probably think about getting up. Henry will be awake soon." JJ said as her eyes met Spence's.

Spence nodded. "Right so… do you want the bathroom first?"

JJ shook her head. "No, you can have it first. Just remember we're staying in our pjs this morning. And don't shave…" she said running her hand over his jaw as she appreciated the sexy shadow of his morning stubble.

"Don't shave…. Why?" Spence asked curiously.

"Mm" JJ moaned "because you look really sexy with your just-woke-up bedhead tussled hair and morning stubble." JJ said leaning up to whisper in his ear. She kissed him softly just in front of his ear and then proceeded to trail kisses across his cheek and jaw until she reached his lips and kissed him once more.

Spence wrapped an arm around JJ's back as the kiss deepened. He lost all sense of time and wasn't sure how long the kiss had lasted. However long it was, it was long enough that when they separated, his arm that had been supporting his weight and JJ's was trembling. Both of their lips were slightly swollen from the kiss, as well as their breathing being erratic.

"Okay then… no shaving today…" Spence replied with a grin as he pulled away and then walked on air across the bedroom floor and down the hallway to the bathroom.

JJ smiled as she watched Spence walk out of the bedroom. Then she collapsed back on the bed with a contented sigh.

* * *

><p>JJ smiled as she sat cuddled up in Spence's arms on the couch in front of the fireplace with a sleeping Henry in her arms. The little boy had been exhausted after a busy Christmas Day. When he'd woken up this morning they'd come downstairs to see what Santa had left. After that excitement, there was the entertainment of seeing what was in the stockings and a couple hours of opening presents, as every time a new toy was opened, it needed to be played with for a while before moving onto the next gift. Henry had been very excited to spend the day playing with his new toys with Mommy and Uncle Spence. He'd also been excited to talk to Daddy on the phone.<p>

JJ sighed as she snuggled a little deeper back into Spence's chest. "It's a little sad that there is so much build up to Christmas and then it's over in one day."

"Actually it isn't over yet. Today is actually only the first day of Christmas. It's a popular and common misconception that the 12 days of Christmas ends with Christmas day, but in reality Christmas Day is the first day of Christmas." Spence accessed his wealth of knowledge on the subject while enjoying the feel of JJ and Henry in his arms. "It is traditionally the 12 days in between Christmas Day and Epiphany, January 6, which is the day that the Wise Men, or Magi, reached the baby Jesus. Did you know that it is usually mentioned as being three Wise Men because there were three gifts, but the Bible actually doesn't specify how many Magi there were."

JJ smiled as she tipped her head back to look at Spence. "So my true love, where's my partridge in a pear tree?" she jokingly asked with a smile on her face.

"I… um… well, er… that is to say…" Spence stammered at JJ calling him her true love.

JJ smiled and shifted to be able to stand up and put Henry to bed. "Spence, it's okay. I really wasn't expecting you to get me a partridge in a pear tree." She said leaning in and kissing him softly.

Spence cleared his throat. "Actually that wasn't what um… well caught me off guard."

JJ tipped her head in thought as she repeated her own words in her head, and then she smiled as she realized what it was that had Spence flustered. True love. "I'm going to go put Henry to bed, but hold that thought. We'll talk when I get back."

Spence nodded and watched as she stood up and headed up the stairs to put Henry to bed. Once JJ was out of sight, he rubbed his temples, willing the headache that he could feel building to go away.

A few minutes later JJ came back down the stairs and returned to her spot in Spence's lap, only this time sitting sideways so that they could face each other while talking. "You know I meant it right? That I was joking about the partridge in a pear tree part, but not about the true love part?" JJ asked she looked up at Spence.

Spence nodded as JJ leaned up to kiss him, distracting him from his headache while he thought up ways that he could make JJ's wish for Christmas to last just a little bit longer come true. Perhaps it was time to put his knowledge of how Twelfth Night was celebrated to use in order to give JJ one more night of holiday magic. Perhaps Twelfth Night could become their special tradition.

* * *

><p>The week in between Christmas and New Year's Eve flew by, and before they knew it, Spence and JJ had tucked Henry in for the last time of 2010. JJ had managed to convince Spence to dance with her a bit to the music playing on TV as they watched the events happening in Times Square.<p>

They settled into the couch and cuddled up together. Spence wrapped his arm around JJ and looked down at her and smiled. "Did you know they've been dropping The Ball in Times Square for over 100 years now?" he asked.

JJ grinned and tipped her head back to look at Spence. "Really?"

Spence nodded. "The tradition was started in 1907 and the only years it wasn't dropped were 1942 and 1943 due to the lighting restrictions during World War II. This is the sixth incarnation of The Ball. It's made of Waterford Crystal, is 12 feet in diameter, and weighs 11,875 pounds. It's the first Ball to stay in place year round on the flagpole at One Times Square." Spence said rambling as JJ traced random patterns on his chest.

JJ nodded as she listened to Spence while she focused on his lips. Deciding that she didn't want to wait until the stroke of midnight, she leaned up and kissed Spence stopping his words for a brief moment.

"JJ, it isn't midnight yet." Spence said as JJ pulled back from kissing him.

"I know." She replied and leaned in to kiss him again, only longer.

"We're going… to miss… The uh… mmm" Spence moaned as their kissing became more involved. One of JJ's hands was splayed in his hair, one was exploring his back. For his part, Spence's hands were gripping JJ's hips, as he was afraid to let them wander… "Ball… dropping." He gasped.

"Don't care" JJ murmured against his lips as she continued kissing him, opening her lips to allow his tongue entrance as their make out session continued. She enjoyed running her fingers through his short, soft, sexy hair; the scent of his cologne, the feel of him pressed against her, the sound of him moaning which let her know that he was enjoying this just as much as she was.

Sometime later, after they pulled apart to catch their breath, JJ giggled and looked up at Spence. "I hope what they say about New Year's kisses is true." She said as her eyes flickered between his lips and his eyes while 'Auld Lang Syne' played in the back ground on the TV.

"What do they say about New Year's kisses?" he asked playfully.

JJ looked at Spence. "You know the size and weight of The Ball, but you aren't familiar with the significance of the New Year's kiss?" she asked somewhat shocked.

Spence shrugged. "I've never had someone to kiss at New Year's before."

JJ grinned. "Well then, allow me to enlighten you. According to tradition, if you are lucky enough to kiss the guy or girl of your dreams at midnight on New Year's, then you are in for a lucky year. Legend has it" JJ said allowing her voice to drop "that a kiss at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Day will bring a full year of happiness, and kissing those closest to you willstrengthen the bonds of those relationships in the year to come."

"Well then…" Spence said clearing his throat and eying JJ's lips. His head tipped forward, and he renewed their kiss, causing JJ to moan softly.

* * *

><p>"Just a second" JJ called out at the sound of knocking on the door, as she hopped up from where she was entertaining Henry and contemplating what to make for dinner,<p>

"Hi" Spence said as JJ opened the door.

"Hi." JJ replied. "Not that I'm not glad to see you, but I didn't know you were coming over tonight. Remind me to get you a key." She said stepping back to allow Spence to enter. With the ending of the holidays, Spence had technically gone back to his own apartment; however he'd still been over spending time with her and Henry every night as the team had yet to go out of town on a case. When JJ had tried calling Spence earlier, she'd just gotten his voice mail.

"Sorry, but I wanted to surprise you." Spence said as he picked up the few bags at his feet and moved past JJ into the house.

Henry glanced up from where he was playing on the floor and at the sight of Uncle Spence; he popped up off of the floor and rushed over to greet him. "Unca 'pence!" he shouted cheerfully as he wrapped his little arms around Uncle Spence's knees.

"Hey Henry!" Spence replied setting his bags down at his feet and scooping Henry up into his arms. "How are you?" he asked.

"I good. How you?" Henry parroted, causing JJ and Spence to laugh.

"I'm good buddy." Spence smiled.

"So, what's this?" JJ asked nodding towards the bags.

"Ah, well I had to pick up a few things for tonight. I wasn't sure you'd have what we needed." Spence replied.

"What's tonight?" JJ asked in confusion.

"Twelfth Night." Spence replied. "Merry Christmas and happy twelfth day of Christmas." He said leaning down and kissing JJ softly.

JJ's eyes searched Spence's as he pulled away from the kiss and handed Henry to her.

"So I thought we could celebrate tonight. You, uh… commented on how quickly Christmas went by… and well… I thought this could maybe be something special we do…" Spence stammered blushing as he attempted to explain his thought process to JJ.

"Spence, baby, that's very sweet and thoughtful of you." JJ replied leaning up to quickly peck Spence on the lips. She really did like the idea of them having something special. "So what are we doing?" she asked as Spence started to head towards the kitchen.

"Well, did you cook yet?" Spence asked.

"No, actually I was trying to figure out what to make." JJ replied as Spence sat the bags down on the counter.

Spence nodded. "Well it isn't exactly a traditional Twelfth Night meal, but I was thinking it might be fun for Henry if we made pizza." Spence explained as he pulled ingredients from the bags.

"Pisa Mama?" Henry asked at hearing the mention of one of his favorites.

"Yeah baby, we're going to make pizza." JJ replied.

Spence shook his head. "Actually Henry and I are going to make pizza. You are going to relax and let us cook for you."

"Oh really?" JJ asked.

"Really" Spence replied with a smile as he continued pulling ingredients and items out of the bags.

"Cake!" Henry said pointing at the cake that Spence had just pulled out of the bag.

"Cake?" JJ asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well we can't celebrate Twelfth Night without a King's cake." Spence replied.

"Okay…" JJ replied. "And the apples, and cider, and all of that stuff, what's that for?"

Spence smiled. "Lamb's Wool."

JJ stood looking at Spence and then she looked ingredients he had lined up on the counter. "Lamb's wool?" she asked confused if she had heard him correctly or not.

"Lamb's Wool" Spence replied. "It's the drink of good wishes and holiday cheer associated with Twelfth Night since the 1400's." he explained.

"Ah" JJ said nodding in understanding. "Okay Henry, if you want to help Uncle Spence, we have to wash your hands."

"Otay" Henry replied, excited at the prospect of helping.

JJ smiled as she sat watching Spence as he flitted about her kitchen. He and Henry had made a bit of a mess making the pizza, but Spence had insisted on cleaning it up himself since making pizza had been his idea. So while Henry finished eating, Spence began the cleanup.

He was currently multi –tasking. As he was washing the dishes and cleaning up from his and Henry's pizza making adventure, he was also making their Lamb's Wool. Once the pizza had been done and out of the oven, He'd cored the apples and put them on a baking sheet in the oven.

JJ wasn't sure exactly how the apples were going to be used, but the smell of the apples baking in the oven was heavenly. She watched as Spence poured the two quarts of cider into a pan and started adding brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. If she didn't know better, from the smells in her kitchen as his concoction in the pan came to a boil, she'd swear he was baking an apple pie. She was also enjoying the view of his backside as he bent over to check on the apples in the oven.

"JJ, do you have a punch bowl?" Spence asked startling her out of her day dream.

JJ blushed slightly as she looked at Spence, afraid that she been caught out. "Um… yeah… in that cupboard right there." She said as she pointed out the right cupboard to him.

Spence put the apples in the punch bowl and broke them up with a fork. Then he poured the apple cider concoction he'd boiled in the pan over the apples and ladled some into mugs and handed one to JJ. He watched as JJ blew on the hot beverage and then took a sip.

JJ moaned in contentment as the delightfully spiced cider slid down her throat. "Mm, this is good Spence." JJ said as her eyes popped open to look at him.

Spence was left speechless by the sight of JJ, head tipped back as she savored the Lamb's Wool, a throaty moan of contentment crossing her lips, and then her dazzling blue eyes popping open… well quite frankly it took his breath away.

"Unca 'pence?" Henry asked, startling his Uncle out of his reverie.

"Yeah Henry?" Spence replied, clearing his throat.

"Cake now?" Henry asked causing JJ and Spence both to laugh.

"Um… as long as Mommy says it's okay, then yeah." Spence replied.

JJ smiled at Spence. "What do you say?" she asked as she turned to look at Henry.

Henry paused in thought for a moment, and then grinned at Mommy and Uncle Spence. "Pease and fank ou!" Henry exclaimed throwing his hands up in the air.

JJ giggled. "Okay, we can have cake, but just a small piece. Then somebody needs a bath." She said as she looked at the very messy boy who was covered in pizza and she was sure would soon also be covered in cake.

"So this is a special cake." Spence said as he pulled out a knife and prepared to cut the cake. "Have you ever had a King's cake before?"

JJ shook her head.

"Really?" Spence asked surprised. "I would have thought that… never mind." Spence said realizing that it might be awkward to bring up Will. But, quite frankly he was surprised that Will being from New Orleans hadn't shared the tradition of Twelfth Night and a King's cake with JJ already as big of a part of the New Orleans culture as it was. Twelfth Night, the last night of Christmas, was also the first night of Carnival season, which many people mistakenly knew as Mardi Gras. However, Mardi Gras was a day… the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, Carnival was the season. The literal translation for the French Mardi Gras was Fat Tuesday… and given how big a part of the New Orleans culture Mardi Gras and Carnival were… Spence couldn't fathom why Will wouldn't have shared this part of his hometown's culture with her.

"Spence what is it? Talk to me." JJ said as she tipped her head in curiosity at her boyfriend who appeared to be lost in his thoughts.

"Well… it's just I would have thought that Will would have told you about the significance of Twelfth Night… and a King's cake…. What with him being from New Orleans…" Spence said blushing slightly at the awkwardness he felt as he repeated out loud the thoughts he'd had in his head.

"Spence," JJ sighed glancing at Henry, "Will and I, we never really got to know each other. So, I can't say that I'm not surprised that he never shared that part of his culture to me. We went to Mardi Gras… or I guess Carnival like you said… and it was fun, but he didn't explain it, and I didn't ask. But to be honest… I like when you explain things. It's nice to know the history behind events." She said with a smile and then stood up from her seat and leaned across the table to kiss him.

Someone however was anxiously waiting on their special treat. "Cake?" Henry asked chipperly as he looked up at Uncle Spence and kicked his feet in the booster seat.

Spence chuckled and JJ laughed.

"You're right Henry. I'm supposed to be cutting this cake aren't I?" Spence asked.

Henry nodded his messy pizza covered face.

"So," JJ began, "what's so special about a King's cake?" she asked smiling up at Spence as he carefully cut the cake.

"Well, a King's cake is to celebrate Epiphany which is when the three Wise Men reached the baby Jesus, or so the tale goes. So somewhere, baked in the King's cake is a … well I suppose you could call it a gift or a token… and whoever finds it in their piece, they get to be the King or Queen for the night." Spence explained as he placed cake on plates. He gently prodded Henry's piece to see if the token was in that piece of cake and finding that it wasn't he placed the cake in front of Henry.

"There is one thing that I don't understand." JJ said.

"What's that?" Spence asked as he handed JJ her piece of cake.

"Well… and I don't mean this in a bad way, but I didn't think you were… well…" JJ paused trying to say what she was trying to say without it sounding offensive.

"A believer?" Spence asked having a feeling for what she was attempting to ask.

"Well, yeah" JJ replied.

Spence shrugged. "My mother was a 15th Century literature professor. People have been celebrating Twelfth Night since long before then. It was a part of the culture. Literature is most often about the culture. Any scholar or member of academia worth their salt would be able to tell you the history and origins. Being familiar with the cultural significance of holidays and why we celebrate them doesn't make someone a believer."

JJ nodded. "So do you?"

"Believe?" Spence asked in response.

JJ nodded curiously.

Spence thought for a moment. "I'm a man of science, so most of the time no," He said pausing for a moment in thought as if he was remembering. "but sometimes… sometimes I'd really like to." He finished cryptically.

JJ nodded in thought. His answer might be cryptic, but hopefully she'd have a lifetime to learn what he'd meant by that.

A freshly bathed Henry had been dressed in his pjs and tucked into bed after his Uncle Spence had read him a bedtime story. And now JJ and Spence were stretched out together on the couch in each other's arms enjoying each other's company into the late evening hours. Spence was enjoying the low lighting, not just for the romantic atmosphere it provided, but also for the way it helped to stave off the excruciating headaches he'd been having lately.

JJ shifted in Spence's arm and rested her chin on his chest as she looked up at him. "Stay tonight? I've missed sleeping cuddled up with you since you started staying back at your apartment."

Spence smiled as he rubbed her back. "Well, whatever my Queen commands." JJ had been the one to find the token in her cake earlier in the evening, although to be honest he would have agreed even if she hadn't been the Queen of Twelfth Night.

JJ shook her head as she rose up off the couch and held out a hand to help him up and then she led him up the stairs, turning on the lights so that they wouldn't trip and fall.

Spence winced and rubbed his temples and forehead as he followed behind JJ up the stairs to bed.

* * *

><p>In case you were intrigued by the beverage Spence made for JJ, I give you the receipe to make Lamb's Wool - either the alcoholic or non-alcoholic versions. Enjoy :D<p>

**Lamb's Wool Ingredients:**

2 qts. cider, hard cider, ale or a mixture of cider and ale  
>6 baking apples, cored<br>1/4 tsp. cinnamon  
>18 tsp. nutmeg  
>2 tbsps. to 12 cup brown sugar  
>14 tsp. ground ginger

**Prepare the Apples**

Get out the apples, an apple corer and a baking sheet.  
>Core the apples, but don't break the skin on the bottom, taking care to leave it intact.<br>Butter the baking sheet, or spray it with non-stick spray.  
>Place the apples on the baking sheet about 2 inches apart. They will swell up a little.<br>Bake at 450 degrees F for about an hour.

**Prepare the Punch**

Gather together the cider or ale, sugar and spices.  
>Pour the cider or ale into a large saucepan over medium heat.<br>Begin adding and dissolving sugar one tbsp. at a time until the mixture is to your taste.  
>Add the spices.<br>Bring the liquid to a boil.  
>Turn down the heat and simmer for about 10 or 15 minutes.<br>Get out a large, decorative punch bowl and put the apples into it.  
>Break the apples up with a spoon or fork. This is optional depending on how you want the bowl to look.<br>Pour the Lamb's Wool punch over the apples and serve immediately.

You can make the punch in advance and refridgerate, however the apples must be made fresh


	4. Chapter 4

I'm baaaaaaack. Or more correctly, I should say we're back to The Roads Series. I apologize - it was never my intent to make you all wait 10 weeks for the next chapters... I am sooooooooooooo sorry. But at the same time - I'm glad you enjoyed 'Sleight of Hand', 'A Joy Shared is a Joy Doubled', and 'Like a Duck to Water'.

I don't own Criminal Minds. Never did - never will. Yes, the truth can be bitter.

Thanks to my wonderful beta - DetectiveNikkiBenson040709. Thanks to all of you for being such loyal fans. Without further adieu, on with the story - which what all clicked on the link for in the first place, not my crazy ramblings. :D

Happy reading and enjoy :D

* * *

><p>JJ took a deep breath. She'd dropped Henry off at day care. Now that the holidays were over, the reality of her old life was settling in around her, but with the added comfort of Spence being a part of it now as more than just her best friend. However, with the reality setting in around her, she knew she needed to put the life that had been but a dream, behind her and to rest. She'd had an epiphany about just how to do that while driving to work. She called her assistant Jamie and let her know that she would be in late this morning.<p>

She clenched the steering wheel of her car as she prepared to make peace with the life she left behind in the other reality. It wasn't so much that it was a painful thought anymore, but the fact of the matter was that she needed closure. She thought perhaps the best way to get that was by saying goodbye to one of largest missing pieces of that life, other than Chloe and the baby. JJ took another deep breath and stepped out of the car, pausing for a moment to reach in and grab the bouquet of Gerber Daisies, which had of course been Rebecca's favorite flower.

She clutched the cheerfully colorful bunch of white, yellow, and hot pink flowers as she crossed the grassy expanse of the cemetery and came to a stop in front of a headstone marked _'Rebecca Garner Bryant August 10 1987 – May 16 2006 Step softly, a dream lies buried here'_. She wiped a tear from her eye as the reality of never seeing her 'adopted younger sister' again sunk in. Then she knelt placing the flowers in a vase as the corner of Rebecca's headstone.

She smiled softly through her tears and brushed her fingers across Rebecca's name where it was etched in stone. "Hey Bec… I… I'm going to miss you. I…Spence and I always meant it when we told you we thought of you as a younger sister… I just wanted you to know that and to have a chance to say goodbye. I'm sorry that we couldn't save you in this life… but who knows, maybe you have Chloe, Jason, and Josh to keep you company."

JJ reached up and wiped away the tears that were coursing down her face. "If they are with you… could tell them I love them?" JJ sobbed briefly and wiped away more tears. "I'll never forget you Rebecca. Thank you for having been a part of our family." JJ sighed and gave the headstone one last lingering look as she remember the last image she had of 22 year old Rebecca laughing and smiling at the Christmas party.

Then she turned and walked away knowing there was one final thing she needed to check on when she got to the office… and then she could completely let go of the life she'd known up until waking up with Spence and Henry on her couch just over three weeks ago.

* * *

><p>JJ stared at the computer in front of her in frustration. The last thing that she needed to do to make peace with being back in her old life was to make sure Seth was okay. Unfortunately, she didn't even have the slightest clue where to start. And then her cell phone rang.<p>

"Jareau" she spoke into the phone, chewing on her lip as she stared at the screen about foster care child placement in the state of Florida and tried to make heads or tails of just how she could track down Seth and if the baby boy was okay. That was all that she needed to know – that he was safe, well cared for, and with a good family.

"Peaches how are you? I'm sorry we couldn't get together over the holidays… but Kevie and I went to his parents." The bright chipper voice of Penelope Garcia came over the phone.

"Pen" JJ responded cheerfully, her face lighting up at hearing from one of her dearest friends. "It's okay, although Henry missed his Auntie Penelope."

"Aww, he is a smart boy isn't he?" Penelope cooed. "So, are we on for breakfast tomorrow?"

JJ smiled and shook her head. "Well the craziness of the holidays is over and it is Tuesday after all. How about if we get together a little bit earlier than normal and I drop Henry off at day care after we have breakfast?"

"Sounds like music to my ears Jayje. I haven't seen my favorite little cutie in what feels like forever." Penelope squealed.

JJ smiled as she pulled her phone away from her ear just a bit for the safety of her eardrum. Then she realized that instead of beating her head into her desk trying to figure out how to track down Seth and make sure that he was okay she should just ask the all-powerful tech goddess supreme for her help. "Hey Pen, I was wondering if you could help me out with something…" JJ said as she exited the scene on her computer and continued her conversation with Pen.

* * *

><p>"Oh" Penelope gasped as she walked quickly through the café towards where JJ and Henry sat at a table waiting for her. "There's my baby boy!"<p>

"Aun' 'lelope!" Henry shrieked gleefully at the sight of his godmother.

"Hello sweetie, how are you?" Penelope asked as she bent down and kissed the small blonde haired boy on the cheek causing him to giggle.

"I good" Henry replied as he swung his legs in the high chair. "Mama we have fwench toas?"

"Sure baby we can have French toast if that's what you want." JJ said as she looked at Henry.

"Uh huh I wan' fwench toas'" Henry repeated happily as he continued to swing his legs.

"Well someone is decisive this morning." Penelope chirped cheerfully. "Hey Jayje. It's so good to see you. It feels like it's been forever." Penelope said as she leaned in and gave her best friend a hug.

"Hey Pen" JJ said as she returned the hug. "I guess it has been what, about a month?"

"Yes, yes it has." Penelope said as she sat down, setting her purse in the chair next to her. "I was able to find what you asked for." She said as she handed a closed manila envelope across the table to JJ, "but do you want to tell me why I was looking up an orphaned baby from a case that was almost nine months ago?"

JJ sighed. "I just… don't you ever find yourself wondering if anyone in a case got a happy ending?"

"Of course I do… all the time." Penelope responded.

JJ nodded. "Well, I just… with the holidays… I just needed to know. I found myself wondering what happened to that baby boy."

Penelope nodded in understanding. "Well, you'll be happy to know that Seth, that's the baby's name by the way, is healthy and he was just placed with a really great family a couple of months ago. He had a bit of a rocky start…" Penelope explained as she went into all the details JJ already knew about the first six months of Seth's life. "… but after all of that things turned around for him in the last couple of months. Another couple stepped forward to foster him and they just filed the paperwork last week to adopt him."

JJ nodded. She could rest easy now, knowing that Seth was safe and loved. She and Penelope chit chatted while Henry continued to be his normal adorable self while they waited for their server to bring breakfast.

"How's your French toast cutie?" Penelope asked Henry with a smile on her face as she looked at the sticky mess that was her godson.

"Good" Henry replied as he continued to dunk the last of the bite size chunks of French toast that Mommy had cut up for him into the syrup. "Aww dun" Henry said as he looked at Mommy with a cheeky grin on his sticky little face.

JJ smiled. "I see that baby boy. Do you want anymore?"

Henry shook his head no.

"Do you want some more juice?" JJ asked as she held out Henry's glass of apple juice to him.

Henry took the glass from Mommy and drank down the rest of his juice and then sat the glass carefully back on the table.

"'ticky Mama" Henry said as he shook his hands.

JJ laughed. "Well how about we get you all cleaned up then?" she turned and pulled a container of wet wipes out of Henry's bag that sat on the chair next to her. Just then her cell phone rang. "Just a second Henry, Mommy has to answer the phone, okay?"

"It's okay Jayje. I'll clean up our little gentleman." Penelope said reaching out for the container of wet wipes.

"Thanks Pen." JJ said turning and picking her phone up off the table. "Jareau"

Penelope smiled at the sticky blond boy in the high chair. She reached out and moved the sticky syrup covered plate and glass away from Henry and then she pulled out a wet wipe and set about cleaning up her sticky syrup covered godson.

"Aun' lelope?" Henry asked once he was all clean.

"Yes gumdrop?"

"You tome over an pway wit me an Mama an Unca 'pence?" Henry asked just as JJ was hanging up the phone.

JJ held her breath, not knowing what Henry was going to say next, not that it mattered. She didn't want to keep her and Spence a secret this time around. However, she'd prefer she and Spence tell their friends themselves instead of being outed by her two year old son.

"You want me to come over and play with you, Mommy, and Uncle Spencer?" Penelope repeated.

Henry nodded.

"Oh sweet boy, I would love too. That sounds like a lot of fun." Penelope asked as she glanced up at JJ.

JJ smiled and nodded. "It does. How about it we talk later this week to set something up? Right now, Henry and I have to get going.'' JJ said as she scooped Henry out of the high chair and settled him on her hip.

"Sure that sounds like a plan. You know I'm sure Reid and I could babysit if you and Daddy wanted to take a night off and maybe go on a date." Penelope said with a wink.

Henry perked up at the mention of Daddy. "Dada no home. He in new… new… Mama where Dada adain?"

"New Orleans baby. Daddy is in New Orleans." JJ sighed.

"Yeah dere. I talk a him on da phone wots dough" Henry said looking back at Aunt Penelope and bobbing his head.

"For how long?" Penelope asked.

"I don't know." JJ replied with emotionlessly. She wasn't heartbroken over her breakup with Will, but that still didn't mean she wanted to talk about it around Henry.

"Peaches?" Penelope asked in a concerned tone.

"Can we talk about it later Pen? Please?" JJ asked pointedly glancing down at Henry. "I tell you everything… just now right now."

"Okay… you're okay though right?" Penelope asked softly.

"More than okay Pen… so much more than okay. I promise." JJ replied as they walked out of the café and across the parking lot. JJ turned to face Penelope in between their cars. "Can you give Auntie Penelope a hug and a kiss goodbye Henry?" JJ asked.

Henry nodded and turned in Mommy's arms to reach for his godmother. "Bye-bye Aun' 'lelope" Henry said cheerfully as he wrapped his arms around his Aunt Penelope's neck and gave her a loud messy two year old smooch on the cheek.

"Oh cutie." Penelope sighed as she hugged Henry back. "I'll see you soon for our play date okay?" she asked as she kissed him on the forehead.

Henry nodded.

"And you peaches… promise me we'll talk soon?" Penelope asked. It was killing her not to interrogate her best friend right now, but at the same time she understood that JJ didn't want to talk about whatever it was in front of Henry.

"Of course we will. I know you better than to think I could escape." JJ teased with a laugh as she hugged Pen.

"You better believe it." Pen replied and then watched as JJ strapped and harnessed Henry into his car seat and then climbed in herself. Pen stood watching and waved as JJ and Henry pulled out of the parking lot. Then she climbed into Esther and headed for the BAU.

* * *

><p>JJ smiled as she heard the door close and Spence's light footsteps come into the kitchen where she was making dinner while Henry sat in his booster seat playing with his blocks at the table.<p>

Henry too noticed the footsteps and looked up. "Hi Unca' 'Pence!" he greeted cheerfully, if a bit noisily.

"Hi Henry" Spence said wincing just slightly at the light in the kitchen, wishing there was a way he could have worn his sunglasses in the house and not have made it obvious that something was wrong.

JJ smiled watching Henry greet Spence, and then she noticed the face Spence made as she turned around, drying her hands on a dishtowel. "Hey, are you okay?" she asked in a concerned voice as she walked over to Spence and leaned up to kiss him hello.

"Yeah… I just… long day." Spence murmured against JJ's lips as she pulled away. He closed his eyes for moment and rested his forehead against hers. He'd had a constant and persistent headache for the last two days. It wasn't the first time it had happened, but he'd finally broken down today and scheduled an appointment for first thing in the morning. He didn't want to worry JJ until after he had some idea of what was wrong.

JJ nodded ever so slightly and tipped her head, kissing him again. "Why don't you and Henry go put his blocks away and then wash up? Dinner's almost ready."

Spence nodded and blinked as she stepped away from JJ and towards Henry. "Come on big guy. Mommy says dinner's almost ready. We have to put your blocks away and wash our hands."

* * *

><p>"Nigh' nigh' Unca 'Pence" Henry said as Uncle Spence sat him down on his big boy bed.<p>

"Goodnight Henry" Spence leaning down and kissing Henry on the top of the head.

JJ smiled as she watched godfather and godson interact with each other. She sat down as Spence headed for the door of Henry's bedroom. She smiled at him as he glanced back over his shoulder, then she turned to Henry. Are you ready for our story baby?"

"Uh huh" Henry nodded eagerly as Mommy sat next to him and opened the book they read every night at bedtime. As Mommy read, he struggled to keep his eyes open and eventually lost the battle as his eyes slid shut to peaceful dreams.

"…I'll love you forever, because you're always my baby star." JJ said softly as she finished the book and glanced down next to her, smiling at the sight of her baby boy sound asleep.

"Hey, tired?" JJ asked as she closed the bedroom door behind her and turned to find Spence lying on the bed in his pajamas with an arm slung over his eyes.

Spence nodded. His head was throbbing right now and it hurt to even have his eyes open.

JJ opened the dresser drawer and pulled out her pajamas. She paused next to Spence and leaned down to kiss him. "I'm just going to change into my pajamas and then we can call it a night." She leaned down and kissed him softly.

"Okay" Spence replied softly as JJ pulled away. He peeked out from underneath his arm to watch JJ walk into the bathroom and then instantly regretted it, wincing as he covered his eyes again with his arm.

JJ quickly prepared for bed and then turned off the lights in the bathroom except for the newly acquired nightlight. She made her way across the bedroom, pausing to turn off the light, and then she crawled into bed next to Spence and cuddled up next to him.

Spence sighed in relief in the now dark room and lowered his arm from his face to wrap it around JJ, holding her close to his side.

JJ ran her hand across Spence's belly and chest. "So, I had lunch with Pen today."

"Yeah?" Spence asked shifting to be able to look down at JJ.

"Yeah… Henry asked her to come over and play. It was really cute… but the subject of Will being in New Orleans came up… and well what would you think about inviting the team over this weekend so that we can tell them about us?" JJ bit her lip as she watched Spence's darkened profile.

Spence smiled at the thought of telling everyone that after all these years he and JJ were together. "I think it's a great idea."

JJ smiled and stretched up to kiss Spence. "Okay. I call everybody and get it set up." She said as she pulled away from his lips and snuggled into his side, her forehead resting against his shoulder.

"JJ?" Spence whispered.

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

"I love you too Spence."

Then they snuggled into each other's arms and fell asleep.

* * *

><p>Spence stared at the wall of the shower in his apartment as the hot water poured over him. His headaches couldn't be psychosomatic… they just couldn't. There had to be something physical causing them… there just had to.<p>

Spence tipped his head back and ran his hands over his face. He was scared. He'd hoped that the doctor's appointment would clear up the mystery of what exactly was the cause of his headaches. Instead it just made him more concerned and terrified.

He sighed deeply and reached down to turn off the water and grabbed a towel. He needed to get dressed and head over to JJ's. The rest of the team would be there soon; he'd just stopped at home to shower and change. He also knew that he'd been much too upset when he left the hospital to head straight to JJ's.

* * *

><p>"Hey you" JJ said looking up at Spence as he came in the front door.<p>

"Hey JJ" He said as he paused to hang his coat up in the closet and then joined her on the couch. "Hi Henry"

Henry turned and looked at Uncle Spence and waved. "Hi" Then he turned back to the paper he was coloring on.

Spence turned to look at JJ.

"He's making a picture for you." JJ said with a smile.

"Oh" Spence replied. "So… do you need my help with anything?"

JJ smiled and leaned up and kissed Spence. "No, everything is ready, but thank you for asking." She kissed him again and then turned to watch Henry again. Then the doorbell rang and JJ stood up from the couch to answer the door.

She smiled as she peeked out the peep hole to see the team all crowded together on her front doorstep. She might not still be a part of the team, but it was nice to know that if she ever needed them, they would be there.

She opened the door. "Hey guys, you can hang your coats in the closet" she said as the team began to troop in the front door.

"Here, I brought these. I thought they might come in handy." Emily said with a smile as she handed JJ a couple of bottles of wine.

"Thanks Em" JJ replied with a smile and then she noticed Jack standing close to Hotch and leaning back against his legs. "Hey Jack" she said crouching down to the five year old's height. "Henry is really excited for you guys to be able to play together. It's all he's been talking about all day."

"Daddy, can I go play with Henry?" Jack asked tipping his head back to look at his Dad.

"Sure buddy. I bet Henry would love to see all the superheroes you brought with. Just remember he's littler than you, okay?" Hotch gently reminded.

Jack nodded and trotted off to join Henry in the living room.

JJ turned to watch as Jack headed for the living room. Most of the team turned to watch as well, and were met with the endearing sight of Reid sitting on the floor talking to Henry, their heads bowed together over the coffee table as Henry pointed to something on the table while Reid nodded and asked questions.

Penelope was the only person who hadn't been watching the scene between Reid and the boys in the living room. She'd been watching JJ's face, attempting to discern what was going on with her friend. She'd expect JJ to be sadder if she and Will were having problems or worse, if they were breaking up. She was perplexed. She sighed, and then she too turned to watch the scene in the living room.

"Hey Jack" Spence greeted the young boy when he reached them in the living room.

"Hi" Jack replied, if a bit shyly.

"Henry do you remember Jack? Can you say hi? He came over to play with you tonight." Spence explained to Henry.

Henry turned and looked at Jack, studying the older boy. "Hi Jack!" he said excited to play with the older boy.

Jack smiled and sat down next to Henry. "Hi Henry. I brought superheroes. Do you want to play with them with me?" Jack asked as he opened his small backpack.

Spence smiled as he watched the two boys make fast friends as Jack started to explain who all of the superheroes were, from Superman to Captain America and everything in between. As Jack handed Henry a Spiderman figure, Spence stood up and moved to join the adults.

"Hey guys" Reid brushing off his khakis as he joined everyone gathered in the entry way.

"Well, I'm going to go put these in the kitchen" JJ said holding up the bottles of wine. "Can I get anybody anything to drink?"

JJ nodded at the slew of drink requests and headed for the kitchen with Emily and Penelope in tow to help her.

"So you sure beat feet out of the office in a hurry today youngster." Morgan said as the guys conversed.

"Yeah… I…." Reid started to say but was interrupted by the girls bringing back drinks for everyone.

"So… you said you had news for everyone?" Emily asked with a quirk of her eyebrow as she looked at JJ.

JJ nodded as she swallowed her sip of wine and then cleared her throat. "You probably already noticed that Will isn't here."

Morgan tensed up wondering if he would need to beat the living daylights out of Will for being an ass.

Rossi stared intently waiting for whatever came next.

Hotch closed his eyes momentarily, afraid that he was about to find out that JJ's relationship had also become a casualty of the BAU, that her leaving to go to the Pentagon had been too little too late.

Emily's eyes rose on her forehead, unsure what JJ bringing up the obvious implied.

Penelope was chomping at the bit to find out just what had happened between her fair maiden friend and her southern gentleman prince charming. "You said he was in New Orleans… what's going on JJ?"

JJ swallowed again. "Will and I split up… a while ago actually. We realized that we didn't work as a couple. We decided that it would be best for Henry if we remained friends and parted amicably now instead of continuing to try and force it and ending up bitter and angry later. He's spending some time in New Orleans figuring out what he wants to do now." JJ breathed a sigh of relief that half of her news was out of the bag.

"Oh... Jayje" Penelope sighed mournfully at the end of her friend's relationship.

JJ shook her head. "That isn't why I asked you all to come over tonight. This isn't a pity party. I have happy news. I've been seeing someone for the last month. He makes me very happy… and to be honest we should have been together years ago." JJ explained as she slid her hand into Spence's where he stood next to her and squeezed.

"Is he going to meet with our approval? Why didn't you have me run a background check on him? Why isn't he here tonight?" Penelope spouted of eagerly.

"Baby girl" Morgan said wrapping his arm around Penelope's shoulder to get her attention. "I think he is here… and that you will definitely approve." Morgan said with a smirk and a chuckle as he nodded at where JJ's hand was clasped in Reid's. "I guess now I know why you were in such a rush to get out of the office today pretty boy." Morgan said teasingly in his big brother tone of voice.

"Jayje! Oh my god… oh my god…. Oh my god! You and the junior G-man!" Penelope squealed as she rushed forward and wrapped JJ and Reid in a crushing hug.

Everybody else looked on with a smile as they all remembered the first time they'd noticed the chemistry between JJ and Reid.

Hotch remembered all the time his two youngest agents had spent together during the aftermath of Boston. It was hard to believe that was only just over six years ago. Somehow JJ and Reid together just seemed right, even if it took them almost six years to get here.

Morgan grinned as watched his pseudo little brother squirm in Penelope's grasp. He remembered teasing Reid about his thing for JJ hoping that it would push him to actually go after what he wanted. He'd never been able to pry what exactly happened at their football game date out of Reid. Reid had declared it 'Top Secret' and refused to talk about it.

Emily smiled, but guiltily wondered if this day would have come sooner if she hadn't pushed JJ towards the 'something fun to look at' in Miami. If she hadn't told JJ to go for it, would she have? Would she have gotten together with Reid sooner? Well there was no point in asking now; the important thing was they were together now. She smiled as she watched Penelope's enthusiasm over their friends getting together after all this time.

Rossi smiled over the rim as he sipped from his drink. He spent so much time profiling each of the team members when he first joined the team. He'd noticed right away the attraction between the two agents. Hell he'd expected them to get together any day with all of the looks and hidden glances shared between them. Then had come the surprise of finding out JJ was pregnant after that god awful case in New York. He still wasn't sure Aaron had recovered yet from losing Kate like that. He mused as he glanced sideways at his best friend. It had to be a hell of a thing to be dating someone, lose them to a bomber and then not a year and a half later lose the love of your life, your ex-wife, to another unsub. No wonder Aaron hadn't put himself back out there yet.

* * *

><p>After more teasing and friendly banter over a family style dinner around JJ's seldom used dining room table, the team broke into smaller groups. Penelope and Emily had shooed Reid out of the kitchen when he tried to help JJ clean up. They were determined to have girl time and learn all of the details that they could pry out of JJ.<p>

The guys sat in the living room watching Henry and Jack play together. Rossi and Hotch chuckled as Morgan continued to tease Reid and Reid on his part, continued to blush.

"So pretty boy's got a pretty girl… " Morgan said leaning back and shaking his head as he took a sip of his beer. "That's why..."

Whatever Morgan was going to say next was cut off by a very loud "HE WHAT?" coming from the kitchen in JJ's voice.

"JJ, I'm sorry." Emily said as she reached out rubbing her friend's shoulder. "I thought Reid would have already told you about the case JJ… I'm so sorry."

JJ took a deep breath trying to calm down from hearing about Spence having walked in to a crime scene without his bullet proof vest on and basically turning himself over to the unsub. "It's okay Em. To be fair, Spence got here just a few minutes before all of you… and he probably didn't want to bring it up when he knew you guys were coming over tonight."

"You know… I think it's time I got Jack home and to bed. It's getting late." Hotch said making a show of glancing at his watch. "Jack, buddy, time to pack it up. We need to get home and go to bed."

"Okay Daddy" Jack sighed and then he and Henry started to pick up their toys and put them away as they rubbed their eyes tiredly.

Rossi nodded. "Yeah… I bet Mudgie would really like a walk and some attention seeing as I've been away most of this week." Rossi said as he stood up and headed for the door.

Hotch and Jack followed him after quick goodbyes with Reid and Henry. "Reid, tell JJ I said thanks… and I'll see you at work on Monday" Hotch said as he turned and headed for the door. 'If JJ lets you live until then.' He muttered under his breath as he pulled his and Jack's coat from the closet.

Morgan winced. No way in hell did he want to stick around and see this show… plus he was pretty sure that if pretty boy was going to get read the riot act, that he'd at least want it to be without an audience. "Yeah…you're on your own kid… "Morgan said standing up and walking to the closet and pulling out his leather jacket. "Just make sure you listen to her pretty boy… really listen to her." He said as he slid his arms into his leather coat. "I'll see you on Monday Reid."

Spence looked around the living room in confusion as to why all of the guys had suddenly left. Then he looked back at Henry who was rubbing his eyes. "Hey are you sleepy Henry?"

Henry nodded his head as he continued to rub his eyes.

Spence stood up and scooped up Henry. "What do you say we go find Mommy and then get ready for bed?"

Henry nodded and laid his head on Uncle Spence's shoulder and cuddled up against him as Uncle Spence walked to the kitchen.

JJ stood leaning against the kitchen counter, pinching the bridge of her nose as she attempted to calm down. Her head lifted and the anger at Spence taking unnecessary risks refreshed itself when she saw Spence standing there with an almost asleep Henry in his arms.

Emily and Penelope glanced cautiously back and forth between JJ and Reid in concern. Then Penelope stepped towards Reid. "Tell you what gorgeous gray matter, why don't you give me my favorite little cutie and Emily the strange and great and I will go get him ready for bed." She said as she lifted Henry out of Reid's arms and cradled her godson against her chest.

"Aun' lelope" Henry said in a sleepy voice, "I sweepy"

"I know cutie. Aunt Emily and I are going to get you ready for bed right now okay?" Penelope cooed as she kissed the top of his head and headed out the door of the kitchen.

Emily paused and glanced back at JJ. Then she reached out and rubbed her hand up and down Reid's arm briefly. She didn't know what was going on with her genius friend, but hopefully in light of his new relationship with JJ, he'd tell her whatever it was that he wasn't telling, and wouldn't tell, the rest of the team. Then she turned to catch up with Penelope and Henry.

JJ stood watching Spence silently for a few moments, leaning back against the kitchen counter with her arms crossed as she tried to find the words. "What the hell were you thinking Spence?" JJ finally managed to get out in a terse voice.

"I… what?" Spence asked in confusion.

"Emily told me about what happened in Miami." JJ bit out.

"Oh" Spence replied as he shuffled his feet and stuffed his hands in his pocket.

"Oh… that's all you can say is oh?" JJ ranted as she stood up from leaning on the counter. "Damn it Spence… did you even stop to think about what could have happened?" she asked as she stepped forward into his personal space and poked him in the chest.

"JJ… I…" Spence attempted to reply his hands coming up out of his pockets defensively.

"Don't JJ me." JJ said as they turned and Spence was backing up against the kitchen counter as JJ advanced on him. "Did you or did you not think about what could happen by approaching an unsub alone… and not just alone, but without your vest?" JJ yelled.

Spence winced at the throbbing that JJ yelling induced in his head. Damn it. He'd been doing so well tonight, and now the headache was back again.

"Spence" JJ sighed as she felt the anger leave her "It's not just about you anymore. I couldn't bear it if I lost you. I love you… just promise me that you'll be more careful from now on… Spence? Baby what's wrong?" she asked as she stepped between his legs and took in the expression of intense pain on his face with his eyes squinted tightly shut and the fingertips of one hand rubbing the center of his forehead.

"Baby, talk to me." JJ said as she wrapped one arm around his waist and lifted her other hand to cup his cheek, her thumb rubbing across his cheek bone. "You're scaring me."

Spence wrapped his free arm low around JJ's waist and held on for dear life as he tried to will away his headache and ride out the pain. Then he realized that JJ was right. It wasn't just about him anymore. There was JJ and Henry to consider… and JJ needed to know what she could be getting into. She deserved to be able to make an informed decision. If she walked away it was going to hurt… but he would understand, after all she had Henry to think about. "I've been having headaches… really, really bad headaches. Sometimes they last for days." Spence began.

JJ's face twitched in concern. "We need to get you in to see the doctor… have you made an appointment?"

Spence cleared his throat. "I… um had a doctor's appointment earlier this week… right before we left for Miami actually. They did an MRI… I got the results this afternoon." Spence said regretfully.

"And?" JJ asked asshe lowered her hand from Spence's face and rested it against his chest, unconsciously rubbing soothing circles above his heart.

Spence swallowed and took a deep breath. "There isn't anything physically wrong… at least not according to what they were able to find on the MRI. The doctor suggested that it was stress… or possibly psychosomatic…" Spence said trailing off.

"Okay well the fact that there isn't anything physically wrong… that's good right?" JJ asked.

Spence shook his head. "JJ… you don't understand… my Mom… she would have headaches at the beginning of an episode when I was a kid. She… she would close all of the blinds in her bedroom and curl up in bed for days… JJ… I… what if…"

JJ swallowed thickly as she realized what exactly about the doctor's diagnosis was bothering Spence. If the headaches had a physical cause there was something to fight… something to fix. If it was psychosomatic… then he could be fighting his own mind. She wrapped her arms tightly around Spence and buried her face in his neck. "It's going to be okay baby. We'll get through this together. The doctor's probably right… it's probably just stress." JJ murmured into his ear. "It's going to be okay, you'll see." She whispered and then buried her face back in Spence's neck.

Spence buried his face in JJ's blond locks and let tears of relief fall. At least he wasn't losing JJ. He'd told her that his worst fear might be coming true and she hadn't walked away. She told him that they'd get through this together.

That was exactly how Emily and Penelope found them a short while later when they came down from putting Henry to bed.


	5. Chapter 5

Hello my friends! Sorry about wait for this chapter - sadly sometimes real life gets in the way.

Just a couple quick things - first otff I got a few messages that people miss the other universe, so I just wanted to make sure that everybody was aware that they other universe is still happening. This story is the parallel universe where it was JJ going back in time was a dream. The story that is the sequel to "The Road Not Taken" where she really did go back in time is called "The Road Before Us".

I find it's easiest to think of it this way - this story basically picks up from the end of chapter 1 of "The Road Not Taken" with everything in "The Road Not Taken" having been a dream. "The Road Before Us" picks up basically right where we left off at the end of "The Road Not Taken" as everything that happened in "The Road Not Taken" was real. Hope that helps make more sense of it for anyone that was confused why there were 2 stories after "Two Roads Diverged" and why I was calling them both sequels and companion stories. "Two Roads Diverged" actually takes place the same night (date wise) as chapter 1 of "The Road Not Taken" so that the story comes back full circle on itself and then splits into the two universes.

So in effect 'The Road Before Us' and 'Though The Road Was Never Smooth' are running concurently with each other (meaning they take place at the same time) so that you can compare one universe against the other. Basically the whole point is really what changes with JJ and Spence having been together as long as they were in "The Road Not Taken" and then to compare what changes when JJ and Spence get together after she wakes up from such a vivid 'dream' in "Though The Road Was Never Smooth"

If you guys have questions, feel free to leave your question in a reveiw (I do respond to all reviews - I feel you guys deserve it) or drop me a PM - I'm always happy to answer questions or clear up confusion, or explain my thought process.

I don't own Criminal Minds - sad but true, at least in this universe.

Thanks to my lovely and wonderful beta DetectiveNikkiBenson040709 - thanks for being my sounding board when I need it and helping me keep on track :D Thanks for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and setting up alerts. You guys are all so awesome.

And now that I've rambled on much longer than I had any intention of - onto why you actually pressed the handy little link that brought you here.

Happy reading and enjoy :D

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><p>JJ smiled as she watched Spence help Henry get ready for bed and thought about the last 24 hours. It had been a busy day. Two-year old Henry had kept them running the whole day, except of course while he napped briefly in the afternoon.<p>

_Emily and Garcia had quietly excused themselves the night before after walking in on them wrapped in each other's arms in the kitchen. JJ had extracted herself from the comfort of Spence's embrace to walk Emily and Garcia to the door, bid them goodnight, and thanked them for getting Henry put to bed. She'd come back to find a weary Spence attempting to do the dishes and load the dishwasher. _

"_Baby, you're exhausted, and so am I. Leave it. We'll cleanup in the morning." JJ murmured as she wrapped her arms around Spence's waist and buried her face in the soft cotton where it stretched across the space between his shoulder blades._

_Spence had nodded and turned, taking her hand as she led him through the house and up the stairs to bed. It was all they had been able to manage to get themselves changed and brush their teeth before falling face first into bed and into a deep sleep as physically and emotionally exhausted as they both were. _

_Spence had been happy to wake up without a headache. The lack of a headache meant he got to enjoy spending the day with his godson while they sat on the floor and played together all day._

_While Henry had napped, he and JJ had curled up together on the couch and read. He'd enjoyed reading without his eyes bothering him due to a headache._

Perhaps that was why it was so disconcerting that he could feel a headache coming on now as he sat a freshly pajama clad Henry on the bed as he thought about how they'd spent the day. The headache that he'd had for the better part of the last week had just gone away sometime in the night last night. He'd enjoyed the sweet relief of a headache free day today. Now after that short blissfully headache free time, the headache making its presence known again, as if it was concerned that he'd forgotten about its existence after one pain free day.

"Mama, 'tory time" Henry said as he held up their bedtime story that his Mommy read him every night.

JJ smiled and crossed the room. She took the book from Henry's outstretched little hand as she sat down on the edge of Henry's big boy bed.

Spence smiled at the sight of mother and son together and then turned to head out of the room to allow JJ and Henry their nightly ritual.

"Unca 'Pence, you 'tay." Henry called out as he noticed that Uncle Spence was leaving the room.

"I…" Spence spoke unsurely, not wanting to intrude on JJ and Henry's time together at bed time and their nightly bedtime ritual.

JJ smiled. "Come on Spence, come and read with us."

Spence's feet shuffled against the carpet as he turned and headed back to the bed.

"You sit here. Den you tan see da pictures too." Henry chirped as he patted the spot on the bed next to him on the opposite side of the bed from where Mommy was sitting.

Spence smiled as he sat down next to Henry.

"Ready Henry?" JJ asked.

Henry nodded eagerly.

"Ready Uncle Spence?" JJ asked with a smile as she made eye contact with Spence over the top of Henry's head.

Spence smiled and gave a brief nod of his head.

* * *

><p>JJ bent down and kissed Henry's forehead and gently brushed his soft baby fine blonde locks back from his face after she closed the book and set it on the night stand. She reached over and turned on Henry's nightlight and turned off the lamp. Then she reached over and took Spence's hand to lead him out of Henry's room.<p>

Spence reached up and rubbed his temple as he followed JJ out of Henry's room. At that exact moment JJ paused in the doorway for one last glance back at her sleeping baby boy. After seeing Henry peacefully sleeping, with his cheek resting on his pillow, she glanced up at Spence and noticed him wincing and rubbing his temple. "Headache?" she whispered as she pulled Henry's bedroom door most of the way closed, leaving it open just a crack as they crossed the hallway to her bedroom.

Spence nodded as he followed behind JJ, wincing and rubbing his eyes with his free hand at the brightly lit bedroom.

JJ winced sympathetically. Then she realized she might have just the thing to help Spence with his headache, at least for tonight. "Baby, I've got an idea." She said as she walked over to the dresser and pulled out an old t-shirt and pair of cotton shorts. "Strip down to your boxers, but don't put on your pajamas. I'll be right back." She continued as she disappeared into the bathroom.

* * *

><p>Spence sat on the edge of the bed in his boxers, idly and nervously scratching his shoulder when JJ came out of the bathroom with her hands full.<p>

Under one arm she had a heating pad. A towel rested over her arm. In one hand she held a bottle of vanilla lavender scented massage oil that she'd picked up on a whim at Bath 'n Body a couple of weeks ago at their after Christmas sale. Her other hand held a few instant ice packs. She sat the bottle of massage oil on the nightstand and then tossed the heating pad into the chair in the corner of the room so that it would be handy in case they needed it. She handed the instant ice packs to Spence and then took his other hand to pull him to his feet. "Stand up for a second baby."

Spence rose to his feet and looked down in confusion at the plastic packs in his hands while JJ spread the towel out across the bed. "What are these for?" he asked holding one of the packs up as JJ turned back to face him.

"These are for your head. Sometimes icing a headache helps." She replied as she took the instant ice packs back from Spence. "Lay down on the towel on your stomach."

Spence looked from JJ to the ice packs she held in her hands and then to the towel. Then he decided he wasn't going to argue. He was willing to try just about anything to get his headache to go away.

While Spence lay down on the towel, JJ turned off the overhead light and turned on the bedside lamp on the far side of the bed from Spence and turned it to the lowest setting so that it gave off a soft glow to light the room.

Then she twisted one of the instant ice packs to activate it and handed it to Spence. "Hold this to your forehead." Then she tossed the rest of the packs in the middle of the bed in case they needed them. She grabbed the bottle of massage oil and climbed on the bed and knelt above Spence on her knees with the palm of one hand resting in middle of Spence's back. "Are you comfortable?" she asked as she peered down at him.

"Uh huh" was Spence's muffed response from behind his arm as he held the ice pack to his forehead.

JJ nodded and then she lifted one leg over Spence's waist and straddled him. She flipped open the cap on the bottle of massage oil and poured some into one hand. Then she flipped the lid back closed and set it off to the side. She rubbed her hands together briefly and then she leaned forward and pressed her hands into Spence's back.

"Ugh" Spence's groaned.

JJ froze. "You okay baby?"

"Yeah, feels good." Spence murmured.

"Just let me know if it's too hard, okay?" JJ asked as she moved her hands, her fingers and thumbs seeking out the knots in Spence's back.

"Uh huh" Spence sighed.

JJ continued working her hands over Spence's back, pausing occasionally to add more oil. She slid her hands up the length of Spence's back, pressing the heels of her hands into the muscles running along the length of his back. Her fingers dug into the tight muscles of his shoulders and neck, hoping that loosening up his neck, shoulders and back would help his headache.

JJ continued rubbing, hearing only the occasionally sigh or groan from Spence. Eventually, she noticed his breathing had deepened and he'd fallen asleep. She leaned over from where she was perched above him and kissed him on the temple as she pulled the ice pack out his hand.

She carefully climbed off the bed so as not to wake him and put away all of the supplies from Spence's massage other than the towel on which he was still lying. She paused as she came out of the bathroom from putting the supplies away and grabbed the quilt from the arm chair in the corner of the room, shook it out, and spread it across Spence to cover him up.

Then she slipped out of the room and across the hall to check on Henry. She peeked her head in the door of Henry's room, she and smiled. He was still sound asleep in the exact same position he'd fallen asleep in with his head turned to the side, his cheek resting on the pillow, and his arms up above his head.

She pulled the door of Henry's room mostly closed again after stepping back from the door and slipped back across the hall to her own bed. She smiled as she looked at Spence sleeping peacefully in the middle of her bed as she leaned back for a moment against the inside of the closed bedroom door. She walked over to the nightstand; turned off the lamp, pulled back the quilt, crawled into bed, and snuggled in next to Spence and quickly fell asleep.

* * *

><p>Spence shifted and stretched as he woke up in the middle of the night. Then he blushed. He was tangled up with JJ under the covers in nothing but his boxers and her thigh was pressed against his middle of the night erection. He pulled away from JJ just a little and then stretched again, amazed at how wonderful he felt.<p>

Spence's stretching woke JJ and she blinked in the dark bedroom and tipped her head back to look at her boyfriend. "Hey, how do you feel?" she asked in a husky just woke up voice.

"A lot better, thanks JJ." Spence answered his voice cracking from not being used for a few hours.

"You're welcome baby." JJ murmured leaning in to kiss Spence and then she buried her face in the space between his neck and collar bone as she snuggled closer and ran her hand up and down his side, where her hand had been resting.

Spence groaned at the feel of JJ pressing closer. "JJ…" he gasped as her thigh brushed against his erection.

"Spence?" JJ questioned softly, licking her lips as she felt the mood of the room changing from sleepy comfort to something else.

"Hm?" Spence murmured in reply as he leaned forward kissing his girlfriend. He gripped the back of her thigh and rolled them to the side so that JJ was underneath him on her back, and then wrapped her thigh around his waist.

JJ moaned as Spence settled in the cradle of her thighs and deepened the kiss. His fingertips traced random patterns as they danced teasingly along the length of her thigh from her knee to just inside the gaping opening of the leg of her shorts.

Spence acted on the little bit of first-hand experience he had, a bit more on the vast knowledge from books stored in his brain, and mostly on instinct as his hand teased the skin of JJ's thigh, he ground his erection into JJ, and he braced his weight above her on his elbow while his fingers threaded themselves into the golden halo of her moonlit blonde locks as he deepened their kiss.

"Spence, baby…" JJ purred as they parted and she tightened one thigh around Spence's waist, while she ran the toes of her other foot up and down his calf. Her hands alternated between gripping and running up and down the length of his back.

Spence planted kiss after kiss along the sensitive column of skin on JJ's neck from her jaw to the collar of her t-shirt. Then he slid his hand up her thigh, past her hip, and under the worn cotton of her t-shirt.

JJ shivered as she felt Spence's hand skim the skin of her belly as it moved toward its ultimate destination. She'd been left wondering more than once whether or not Spence was still a virgin this time around or not, after some of their heated make-out sessions that hadn't led any further up to this point for one reason or another.

Now though, she could say with almost absolute certainty that this was not Spence's first time… coherent thoughts were left behind, however, as Spence's skilled hands continued to work their magic; his lips lingered over what he had discovered in the course of their many make-out sessions over the last five weeks to be the most sensitive spot on her neck, right at the base of her neck where it met her shoulder; and his hips, god his hips, for someone who claimed they didn't dance, he sure knew how to move his hips in perfect rhythm.

Spence pulled his lips away from the soft sweet haven that was the crook of JJ's neck and lifted his head to look at his beautiful girlfriend. She was flushed and breathless as she lay on the pillow. Then her brilliant blue eyes popped open and took his breath away.

JJ opened her eyes at the loss of Spence's lips on her neck to see him hovering above her, his eyes studying her as if he was trying to memorize the moment and hold a picture in his genius brain for later. The man after all did have an eidetic memory. Then she smirked, 'might as well give him something memorable to think about on all those long flights on the jet,' she thought as she reached down and pulled up on her t-shirt while simultaneously using the leg wrapped around Spence's waist as leverage to lift her upper body up off the bed. 'Thank god for Yoga and Pilates,' she thought as she tossed her t-shirt off the side of the bed.

"God you're gorgeous JJ," Spence murmured, his eyes never leaving hers, "absolutely breath-taking."

"I love you Spence" JJ said as ran her hands up and down his sides, her fingernails raking lightly across his skin.

"I love you too JJ. Always have. Always will." Spence replied leaning down and brushing his lips across hers at first, and then the kiss picked up in intensity.

JJ nipped lightly at Spence's lower lip with her teeth and then moaned as his tongue slid between her lips and traced the roof of her mouth.

Spence's tongued tangled with JJ's in an abrupt but ardent kiss. Then he kissed her chin and along the length of her jaw. He nibbled on her ear. He nuzzled at her neck. His tongue flickered along her collar bone. He paused pressing a solitary kiss on her chest directly over her beating heart. Then he paused to look up at JJ, making eye contact with her as he wiggled his hips free from JJ's grip and slid down her body.

JJ gasped as Spence's soulful brown eyes looked up at her. She hoped that she remembered this moment forever, because she saw a world of promise and forever in his eyes. Not to mention he looked incredibly sexy sporting his sexy bedhead hair. Then she felt him wiggle his hips free from the cradle of her thighs, sliding down so that his belly now rested on her pelvic bone and her chest was now at eye level for him.

* * *

><p>She whimpered softly as he kissed his way down her belly and his fingers played with the waistband of her shorts, and lifted her hips as Spence slid the cotton shorts down her hips.<p>

Spence groaned as he pulled down JJ's shorts and realized that she wasn't wearing panties. He kissed her hip while his hands pushed the shorts down to her knees. Then he pushed himself up to his knees and pulled the shorts the rest of the way downs her legs and off over her feet. With a flick of his wrist JJ's shorts flew off into the darkened bedroom.

With her legs freed, JJ quickly rose to her knees in front of Spence and pulled down his boxers with a quick tug so that they pooled on the bed at his knees. Then her fingers flitted eagerly over the skin of his thighs and danced across his tight toned ass as she leaned in close to Spence, his erection pressed in between them against her belly.

"JJ" Spence gurgled in a momentary loss of control as his head dropped onto her shoulder. "Don't you want me to… oh god JJ." He whimpered in pleasure as one of her hands snuck between them.

"Don't I want you to what baby? Go down on me?" she murmured huskily in his ear as her hands continued to tease his flesh.

Spence moaned and nodded his head against JJ's shoulder, too turned on for words at the sound of JJ talking dirty in his ear.

JJ smirked as she breathed in Spence's ear. "I do want you to go down on me. I've wanted you to do that for a long time. All the times I've watched you lick your lips when you were talking… I always wondered what your tongue would feel like… watching your fingers trail down the pages of a book or a case file while you read and flipped pages I wondered what your fingers would feel like on my body… teasing me… pushing me over the edge… but do you know what I wondered about most of all baby?" JJ murmured in his ear and then nibbled lightly on his earlobe.

"What?" Spence croaked in a scratchy voice, his voice cracking.

"What exactly you could do to me with this." JJ said, dragging her fingernails lightly over his skin.

Then Spence growled low in his throat and tightened his grip on her hips as he pulled her close.

'God I love it when he does that.' She thought as she bit her lip, wondering what Spence was going to do next. She could almost hear the gears turning in his genius brain as he weighed his options.

Genius that he was, Spence was perfectly capable of multi-tasking, so that was exactly what he was doing. While his brain contemplated all of the possibilities, he kissed her neck and shoulder and ran his hands up and down her body.

He momentarily contemplated reaching down and pulling her legs out from underneath her, but he quickly calculated the physics of the situation and determined that it wasn't safe from where they were positioned on the bed. All it would take is one wrong bounce and JJ would hit the headboard or the nightstand. Not to mention her squeal of shock would probably wake Henry. No, that playfully fun idea was best saved for some time in the future, along with the hundreds of other creative possibilities that were dancing through his brain… after all he was a genius.

In a split second Spence reached a conclusion about how best to proceed. He pulled JJ's hand from him and then sank down onto his knees and pulled JJ down into his lap. One hand reached up brush stray hair back from her face and tucked it behind her ear and then trailed down her back. He rested his other hand on her thigh, his thumb stoking the soft sensitive skin of her inner thigh. "I think it behooves me as a benefactor of knowledge to ensure that all of your questions are answered to your complete and utter satisfaction no matter how long it may take." He spoke in a low voice in JJ's ear.

JJ moaned at Spence's words, the tone of his voice, and his hot breath on her neck. "Spence… baby…" And then Spence's lips crashed down on hers, silencing her. Spence leaned forward, maintaining his hold on JJ until she was safely lying on the bed again with himself hovering above her, braced on his arm that was wrapped around her back.

* * *

><p>"Spence, baby, please…" JJ groaned, not wanting to wait any longer. She was very glad at this moment that they'd had a mature, responsible discussion weeks ago about birth control and all of the other issues that needed discussing, as this was definitely not a moment when she wanted to stop what they were doing to have the necessary conversations.<p>

Spence had made it clear that after he'd gotten clean and off of dilaudid, he'd been tested. He'd also explained that even in his weakest moments during his few months of drug abuse he'd observed the most stringent of safety precautions. He'd never shared needles. He'd never re-used needles. He hadn't shared his vials of drugs with anyone else, so there wasn't any danger of accidental cross contamination. All of his tests had come back clean. All JJ had needed to share was that she was on the pill.

* * *

><p>Spence rested his forehead against JJ's watching the emotions dance and flicker in her eyes. He'd never really understood before why the eyes were called the window to the soul before, but now he did.<p>

* * *

><p>JJ lifted her hand to Spence's head and ran her fingers through his hair. She mused once more, although much more coherently this time, over the fact that clearly Spence had not been a virgin this time around… although, considering 6 years had passed, she supposed she really shouldn't have expected that to be the case any longer… she was left wondering exactly where Spence had picked up his skills.<p>

* * *

><p>When Spence caught his breath a short while later, he propped himself up on his elbows to look down at JJ.<p>

"Hi there" JJ said with a soft smile.

"Hi" Spence responded.

JJ leaned up and kissed him. As she settled back on the pillow, she tipped her head and looked at him thoughtfully, biting her lip as she attempted to figure out what was on her mind.

"What is it?" Spence asked running his fingers lightly up and down her side.

"Where did you learn that?" JJ asked curiously.

"Learn what?" Spence asked with a puzzled expression on his face.

"Everything" JJ replied drawing the word out dramatically as she traced her finger up and down her boyfriend's chest. Then she shivered as her body started to cool down from their rather heated activities.

Spence noticed JJ shivering and rolled to the side, pulling her with him and into his side. Then he pulled the quilt they'd slept under earlier over them and turned to look at JJ as he wrapped his arms around her. "Do you really want to know? I'll tell you if you do, but I know that I don't like thinking about the almost 4 years that you were with Will or any of the other guys that you might have dated before Will."

JJ ran her hand down Spence's chest and his stomach and then wrapped her arm around his waist as she snuggled into his side and thought about what he was saying. He was right; she definitely didn't want to know any of the details about the relationships he'd been in previously. What mattered was that they were together now. "You're right baby. I don't want to know. I'll just be glad that it ended up being to my benefit." She paused and leaned up to kiss him. "But just so you know, the last guy I went on a date with before Will was you." she murmured against his lips as their lips parted.

Spence smiled as he thought back over the his dating days prior to starting his relationship with JJ. He was never quite as hopeless as Morgan made him out to be, or the rest of the team assumed he was.

There'd been a really nice librarian that he'd dated for a while. They'd bonded over their mutual love of books, especially the classics, and coffee. However, she'd visited his apartment once and he had unfortunately, or at least so he thought at the time, left a case file open on his desk. The reality of his work spread out in full color photos was just too much for her to handle and the relationship had been as dead as a corpse in a morgue by the time she left his apartment minutes later.

When a friend of a friend set him up on a blind date with a few years ago with a forensic anthropologist with multiple PHDs who was a certified genius, he'd thought perhaps that things would work out. On paper they were a perfect match, both geni, both having multiple PHDs and inherrently interested in the world of academia purely for knowledge's sake. She even worked as a consultant for the FBI on some rather gory cases, so her accidentally seeing a case file would be a non-issue. Bein a man of science, he'd taken an interest in her work. It had been refreshing to have someone take an interest in his background and experiance in the hard sciences and mathematics. However, what on paper had appeared to be a good match, in reality it turned out not to be the case. She viewed his life's work as a profiler as hokum as she was a firm believer in the hard sciences. The statistics he was able to provide combined with the stories about the team's cases hadn't even been able to sway her opion. In the end, they were too much alike to form a real connection with each other beyond their love of academia and had decided to part ways. It was true in science and in love. Opposites attracted. In a moment of random curiosity he wondered if life had been as kind to her as it had to him. He hoped she'd found someone who complemented her as well as JJ complemented him.

Then he'd met Austin on that case in Atlanta. He'd used a little sleight of hand to impress her. She in turn had impressed him enough to hold his interest for a time, but the combination of cases and the distance put a strain on the relationship. In the end he'd realized he'd rather spend a weekend visiting JJ as friends and playing with his godson Henry than traveling to Atlanta to spend a non-platonic weekend with Austin. And then he realized that JJ deserved to know that.

"You know" Spence said clearing his throat, "while Austin and I were dating I realized that I would rather spend time with you as a platonic friend than spend time with Austin doing non-platonic things… and that told me something. I… I decided that I couldn't be with anyone else until I was over you… that I shouldn't be with anyone… that it wasn't fait to be with someone who I couldn't give my heart to. Everyone I dated, they never stood a chance. I compared them all to you. JJ, you've had my heart all along."

"Spence… I… "JJ paused, her eyes searching Spence's as for the first time words failed the communications liaison. Then she reached up and kissed him, unable to think of any words that would be as equally powerful at expressing just how much she loved him.

* * *

><p>JJ rushed down the hall of the Pentagon dodging in and out of the hallway traffic to get to the emergency meeting she'd been called into with high ranking members of several governmental agencies. Going into a meeting with the Department of Homeland Security, Interpol, the CIA, the FBI, the ATF, and who knew what other groups or agencies… she just really didn't know what to expect. She took a deep breath, opened the door of the conference room, and raised her eyebrows as she found the room being swept for listening devices.<p>

* * *

><p>JJ pinched her nose as she sat on the couch sifting through the highly redacted file for escaped terrorist, Ian Doyle. She wasn't sure how the task force that was being put together was expected to gather information and track down a fugitive when most of his file was redacted or withheld. She also had to wonder what they were thinking by leaving out the one group of people who she knew for sure would be able to track down Ian Doyle. The BAU. They had been strangely missing from a task force involving searching for an escaped terrorist – but she supposed the FBI had been represented and that if the time came the information would be funneled to the BAU so that they could be included in the man hunt. She just hoped it was before Doyle had caused too much mayhem around the world.<p>

Then JJ heard the sound of Spence's key in the lock and gathered her files, returning them to her briefcase and locking it before she pushed it off to the side. Just in time too as Spence entered. "Hey baby, how was the case?" JJ asked as Spence paused in the entry way to hang up his coat and set his go bag and messenger bag off to the side.

"We basically chased them all the way across Montana to Washington, and after a several hour standoff at a gas station in Spokane, it ended in a shootout. Actually you couldn't even really call it a shootout from what Derek told me." He said as he sat down on the couch next to his girlfriend.

"They never even got a shot off, but the vehicle they were in was riddled with bullet holes. It was like a modern day Bonnie and Clyde, but without them being heroes to the public… and I lost count of how many victims after the third crime scene when they killed everyone at an AA meeting." Spence said as he tipped his head to rest against the back of the couch. "How are you? Busy doing paperwork?" Spence asked nodding his head at JJ's briefcase.

JJ shrugged. She really hated the top secret nature of her job at the Pentagon. "Yeah, just reading up on some notes from a meeting. Are you hungry?"

Spence shook his head. "No, just tired."

JJ smiled and took Spence's hand and stood up. "Well come on, let's go to bed then."

* * *

><p>"Sean, how are ya?" Emily asked as she pulled back from her longtime friend Sean McCallister's friendly hug in greeting.<p>

"Good" Sean replied as he released Emily from his hug and they both moved to take a seat in the booth at the back of the dimly lit but classy bar he'd asked Emily to meet him at. Naturally he sat facing the door, knowing what he knew.

"So, I was going to call you back, I just got busy on a case." Emily said after she and Sean were comfortably ensconced in the high backed leather booth.

"I… I had to be in DC anyway." Sean said softly in his Scottish brogue.

Emily grew concerned as she watched Sean and his mannerisms at the moment.

"Ian Doyle vanished from prison."

Emily's eyes went wide as she sat in shock.

"Interpol can't find him."

"What are you saying?" Emily asked in a concerned voice.

Sean looked down, realizing how much the system had failed them, failed Emily after all she'd sacrificed seven years ago to capture the man in the first place. After a moment of contemplation, his eyes snapped up to meet Emily's. "He's off the grid Emily."

"Do you think he's headed here?"

Sean sat speechless as he looked at Emily. This wasn't supposed to have happened. Ian Doyle should be nothing more than a story they never told anyone. If he found out how the bastard escaped… well that wasn't the issue now. He'd attended a meeting regarding Ian Doyle's escape and the task force being put together to capture him. He was warning Emily now, and then he was going to go home to take his own precautions to protect his family.

"Am I in danger?" Emily asked with a slight waver in her voice.

Sean paused as he looked down to gather his thoughts and then looked back up at Emily again. "We all are."


	6. Chapter 6

Hey everybody... sorry you had to wait so long for the next chapters - I played them over and over and over in my mind trying to figure out the best way to lay everything out - so I hope you really enjoy them :D

I don't own Criminal Minds... I'm pretty sure I don't even have visitation rights.

Happy reading and enjoy :D

* * *

><p>"Is this how you got out buddy?" Emily asked Sergio as she pulled open the drapes of her bedroom window and saw that the window was about halfway open. Her gun pointed at the panes of glass as she had just finished clearing the rest of her apartment. She wasn't taking any chances with knowing that Ian Doyle was out there somewhere.<p>

She closed and locked the window, keeping her gun pointed at the panes of glass as the window slammed shut and the lock clicked in place. Then she turned and tucked her gun into the holster nestled in the back waistband of her pants as she made her way around the end of the bed.

Emily took a deep calming breath as she picked up the cordless phone from the nightstand next to her bed and dialed Brianna's number. "Hey Brianna; it's Emily."

"Yeah, I just got back now. It was good. Thanks… um… did you leave the fire escape window open for Sergio to get out?" Emily's eyes slipped shut and she sighed in relief at Brianna's confirmation that she had left the window open for Sergio.

"Okay." Emily sighed. "No it just it was open and I was wondering how it got that way. It's fine. No, no there's no water damage." Emily replied as she walked around the foot of the bed to look out the window.

"Um… it's fine. Thank you so much for taking care of him while I was gone." Emily said as she turned back around attempting to calm her nerves. "Uh, you want to have brunch this weekend? ... Okay, cool! I'll give you a call. Okay, bye." She said and then pulled the phone away from her ear and dropped it on the bed.

Sergio walked across the room and stopped at Emily's feet, meowing to be picked up.

"Buddy," She spoke to Sergio as she bent over to pick him up. "puh" she murmured as she made kissy noises and tussled Sergio's black fur. She pet his back and then let him go as he leapt out of her arms just as the phone rang.

She turned to looker at the answering machine when she saw that it was an unknown caller on the caller ID.

"Hi its Emily, leave a message." Emily's voice came from the answering machine. There was silence at the sound of the tone. Then after a long moment the silence was followed by the sound of a dial tone. Emily set the phone back down on the bed and set about securing her apartment so that she wouldn't be caught unaware.

* * *

><p>JJ smiled into her pillow as she woke up to the feeling of a naked Spence snuggled against her back. Her smile grew as his arms tightened around her and he buried his face in her neck and began placing soft kisses up and down her neck.<p>

She moaned and arched her back into Spence as she lifted her arm and wrapped it around the back of Spence's head, carding her fingers through his hair. "Good morning baby."

"Good morning beautiful" Spence replied, smiling into JJ's neck as his hands slid up her belly to cup her breasts as her arching back pushed them forward. He ground his erection into her ass to tease her.

Then a phone started ringing.

"Ugh" JJ half moaned, half sighed in frustration. "Baby, you better get your phone. It's probably Hotch with a case."

"Not my phone ringing." Spence murmured into her neck. He continued placing soft kisses and nuzzling her neck. One hand continued to palm one of her breasts while his other hand slid ever so slowly and gracefully down her belly, pausing to trace random patterns on the flesh of her belly, drawing out the moment when he'd reach his ultimate destination.

"Who… oh god baby,… who's calling… oh… me at 6 am?" JJ moaned as she lifted her head to look at the alarm clock. Then she stretched to reach over to the nightstand on her side of the bed for her cell phone, blindly fumbling to pick up her phone as Spence's hands continued to work their magic on her body.

Spence continued kissing her shoulder and letting his hands roam up and down JJ's body. He traced a circle around her belly button and then his fingers slid into the nest of golden curls at the apex of her thighs.

"Jareau" JJ managed to somehow answer the phone professionally. She squeezed her eyes shut in concentration against the incredibly sexy things Spence was doing with his hands and mouth at the moment. She hoped whoever was on the phone made it quick. She bit her lip in an attempt to hold back a moan as Spence's fingers evilly teased her while she was on the phone. She was so getting him back the second she was off the phone.

Hearing an unexpected voice for 6 am, at least anymore, on the other end of the phone caused JJ to shoot straight up in bed. "Will, what are you doing calling at 6 am?" JJ asked as she glanced at Spence apologetically. If there was a bigger mood killer than your ex-boyfriend calling while you were in bed with your current boyfriend, she didn't know what it was. She did know that if Will weren't the father of the precious little boy sound asleep in the room across the hall, she'd be telling him to stick his phone somewhere unpleasant right now.

Spence sat up next to JJ. He knew she needed to take Will's call. He was after all Henry's father. He leaned over and whispered in JJ's ear. "I'm going to go take a shower."

JJ nodded. "Hang on just one second Will." She said and then put her hand over the mouth piece of the phone and turned her head to kiss Spence. "I love you." she whispered softly against his lips as she pulled away from their brief good morning kiss.

"I love you too." Spence replied with a smile as he threw back the covers on his side of the bed and climbed out of the bed, pausing to stretch for just a moment.

JJ bit her lip as she lifted her phone back to her ear and watched the show going on next to her as her boyfriend stretched his tall lean naked form. "Yeah, I'm here Will… no… yes, that would be okay." She responded as she watched Spence walk across the bedroom and into the bathroom and close the door.

With her distractingly good looking naked boyfriend out of the room, JJ turned her full attention to her phone conversation with Will. "I understand Will. Yes, of course you want to pick up more of your stuff. Henry will be excited to see you too. What time does your flight land… okay, we'll see you tonight then. Sure, I can leave it a surprise for Henry. Okay. Bye." JJ hung up her phone and flopped back against the pillows and covered her eyes with her arm.

Will was flying back to DC later today to get his things and spend a few days with Henry. She only hoped that things could remain as amicable between them as they'd been so far once Will found out that she'd moved on and was now in a relationship with Spence.

At the thought of Spence, JJ smiled and hopped out of bed. The man she loved was currently alone and naked in her shower and she definitely owed him for continuing to tease her while she was on the phone. After all, she had promised herself to get him back when she was off the phone, and if you couldn't keep a promise to yourself, then who could you keep a promise to?

* * *

><p>"So he's coming to get more of his things?" Spence asked confused as JJ explained the reason for Will's call so early in the morning.<p>

JJ nodded as she took a sip of her tea. She really wanted coffee, but she was being supportive of Spence in his effort to cut back on his caffeine consumption to see if it helped his headaches. "Mm hm."

Spence looked down at his coffee cup. He too wished it was coffee instead of tea in the cup. Then he lifted his eyes to look at JJ over the rim of his cup as he took a sip of tea. "What about Henry?" he asked after swallowing his sip of tea.

"I'm sure he's going to be really excited to see his Dad, but Will wants it to be a surprise." JJ replied as she glanced at her watch checking the time to make sure she got Henry up with plenty of time to spare for breakfast.

"Do… do you think Will is going to try and convince you to get back together?" Spence asked curiously.

"I hope not, for his sake. All we did was fight constantly at the end, so I can't imagine why he would possibly want to get back together." JJ mused. "Even if he does; it's not happening. I love you Spence and you are the only person I want to be with. You know that right?"

Spence nodded. "I love you too JJ." He said as he leaned down and kissed her. Then they heard the sounds of a certain two year old boy waking up just upstairs. "You go get Henry and I'll make breakfast."

JJ smiled at Spence as she slid down off of the barstool at the bar in the kitchen. She leaned up to kiss him and reached around to pinch his ass at the same time.

"JJ!" Spence yelped as he jumped in surprise.

JJ laughed. "You can consider that to be me getting you back for continuing to tease me while I was on the phone earlier. I meant to get you back in the shower… but I might have gotten a little distracted." JJ smirked and then leaned up to kiss Spence again and then pulled away and turned and walked out the kitchen to help Henry get ready for the day.

* * *

><p>"Where's Prentiss?" Morgan asked as he walked into the round table room, cup of coffee in hand.<p>

"I don't know. Her car wasn't here when I rode in this morning." Reid replied as he craned his neck to look at Morgan while he walked behind him.

"I'm gonna give her a call, get her ETA." Garcia said as she rose from her chair at the table and headed for the door.

Just as Garcia reached the door of the conference room, Prentiss walked in. "Hey" she said as she slipped past Garcia with her bags still over her shoulder.

"Somebody have a long night?" Morgan asked as he tracked Prentiss across the round table room with his gaze.

Prentiss gazed back at Morgan over her shoulder. "Somebody want to mind their own business?"

Morgan stood looking at Emily's back as she got coffee with a perplexed look on his face. Emily had never reacted to his teasing like that before. Something was definitely up with her.

"Garcia?" Hotch said as he strode into the room all business with the stack of folders in his hand and his suit jacket flapping in the breeze created by his brisk stride.

"Spin the wheel and it is sunny Los Angeles people." Garcia said as she lifted the remote and turned on the monitor.

"Two times in one year huh?" Morgan asked as he settled into his seat.

"Remind me again why it's called the 'City of Angels'?" Rossi said in a deadpan voice.

"It was originally called the Town of Our Lady the Queen of the Angels" Reid paused as he felt everyone's eyes on him. "That was a rhetorical question wasn't it?" he asked as he looked around at everybody.

* * *

><p>"Methanol is compositionally speaking the simplest of the alcohols." Reid explained as he stood in the galley of the jet. "It's actually ubiquitous in the environment. There's small traces of its vapor in the atmosphere, but atmospheric methanol is easily oxidized by sunlight." He said as he opened up the container of tea bags and reached in to select one, when what he really wanted was a sugar laden cup of coffee. Damn his headaches.<p>

"Is it toxic?" Emily asked as she twisted in the booth to look at Reid.

"Uh, ingesting ten milliliters of it will cause permanent blindness and as little as thirty is potentially fatal." Reid replied as he opened his tea bag.

"Well these victims had between five and six ounces in their lungs." Morgan said as he flipped through the file and then looked over at Reid.

"You know if there were immersed in it, they would have died even without ingesting or inhaling it. When absorbed through the skin, it depresses the central nervous system to an unsustainable degree." He said as he focused on making sure not to spill the hot water on himself as her pour some in his cup.

"Well what's it used for?" Morgan asked as Reid head out of the galley to sit at one of the small tables.

"What isn't it used for?" Reid asked as he slid into his seat and got comfortable. "Uh, solvent, in anti-freeze, in World War II the Germans used it for rocket fuel; it's used in wine making; its most common place use however is in the creation of other chemicals. Methanol can become plastic, plywood, paint, explosives, permanent-press textiles; it's essentially the chemical used to separate other chemicals from each other."

Morgan raised his eyebrows as he listened to Reid rattle off all of the different uses of methanol. One thought was running through his head. Thank god Reid was on their side, because if they ever had to try to profile and track down Reid, they would be SOL.

"Can it be bought? Is it tracked?" Emily asked as she continued to look back at Reid in his seat behind her where she was seated in the booth with Hotch and Rossi.

"California's got some of the strictest environmental laws in the country. I'm sure it's regulated." Hotch added.

"Yeah, but methanol is also used in making bio-fuels, which quite a few people have been doing at home. I'd imagine that the sale of it is fairly common place." Rossi said as he jumped into the conversation.

"But he needs enough in which to immerse a body." Hotch rebutted and then the team continued to discuss the case, moving on from the methanol to the patch of skin, to the randomness and widespread area of the abduction and dumpsites.

"…this guy could be anywhere. LA is over five hundred square miles." Morgan said in concern for how they were going to narrow down their profile quickly enough to catch the unsub before he moved on to another victim.

"Uh… four hundred and ninety eight point three…" Reid replied out of habit and then began playing with the string of his tea bag as he glanced out the window at realizing he'd slid into an old habit that he was trying to break.

Morgan chuckled under his breath… yep if pretty boy ever changed sides they were screwed… then he refocused on the conversation about how well the unsub knew the city.

* * *

><p>"Henry, baby, look who's here." JJ whispered in Henry's ear as she knelt down next to him to take his coat off and glanced over her shoulder at where Will sat on the couch. Will had taken a taxi from the airport and let himself in the house with his key. He'd beaten JJ and Henry home by about half an hour.<p>

Henry stood on his tip toes to peek over Mommy's shoulder. Then he gasped. "Dada you home!" He scurried as quickly as his little legs could carry him over to his Daddy.

"Hey jumpin' bean!" Will said as he stood up and scooped his son up into his arms.

JJ smiled as she took off her own coat and hung it up along with Henry's. She felt her heartstrings tug as she watched father and son greet each other. Will was a great guy and a great father. She hoped that he could move on and find someone who would love him the way he deserved to be loved.

Will grinned as he settled Henry on his hip. "Hey ch… JJ." Will said catching himself before he could utter his nickname for JJ.

"Will… how was the flight?" JJ asked as she stood awkwardly in her own living room with her arms crossed, unsure of what she should expect in this situation.

"Fine; fine." Will replied awkwardly nodding and not knowing what else to say.

"Dada, Dada" Henry said as he tapped his Daddy on the shoulder to get his attention.

"What is it buddy?" Will asked as he turned to look at Henry.

"You tome see my bed."

"You want me to go see your bed?" Will asked and then glanced at JJ.

JJ smiled. "Henry is sleeping in a big boy bed now, aren't you baby?" JJ asked as she looked at Henry.

"Uh huh. I wike it." Henry said as he nodded eagerly.

"Well alright then, let's go see your new bed." Will replied as he headed for the stairs, relieved for the distraction from the tension between himself and JJ.

* * *

><p>JJ smiled as she stood in the doorway of Henry's room after kissing her baby boy goodnight and watched as Will tucked Henry in and kissed him goodnight. Then she turned and headed for the stairs.<p>

A few minutes later, Will came down the stairs and into the living room. "You know I've been staying busy just tryin' to forget how much I miss him." He said as he crossed the living room and sat down on the far end of the couch from JJ. He cleared his throat and turned to look at JJ. "Is this… are we really… do ya think maybe we should uh…"

JJ winced as she realized that Will was going to ask exactly what she'd been hoping that he wouldn't.

Will cleared his throat again. "I've uh… been thinkin' while I was in N'awlins… and I was wonderin' if maybe we shouldn't get back together?"

'Yep, there it was.' JJ thought to herself as she took a deep breath and a moment to gather her thoughts. Then she turned to look at Will. "No." She shook her head. "No, we shouldn't Will. None of the reasons we broke up have changed… and they aren't ever going to change."

Will's eyes widened. That hadn't been the response he'd been expecting. All the times he'd thought about it, he'd envisioned JJ welcoming him back with open arms… a big kiss… maybe some passionate make-up sex. He sure as hell hadn't expected to be told no. The wheels in his head were turning as he studied JJ as she sat before him. Something was different. She was different. "There's someone else isn't there?"

JJ sighed and rubbed her fingers across her forehead and her thumb against her temple. "Yes. Spence and I are together…"

Will narrowed his eyes. "YOU WHAT!"

"Keep your voice down." JJ said tersely "In case you've forgotten, we just put Henry to bed."

"How can you have moved on already?" he growled as he lowered his voice.

"Just how long was I supposed to wear black and mourn our relationship?" JJ snapped in frustration.

Will clenched and unclenched his hands and his jaw twitched. This was not how things were supposed to have gone.

JJ sighed and then attempted to get Will to see reason. "You might not like it Will, but we are over. I've moved on and you need to move on too." She sighed as she looked at Will "All we've done over the last six months… since I left the BAU is fight. Is that really the relationship you want be in? We don't have anything in common… When was the last time we had a civil conversation that didn't revolve around Henry?"

Will opened his mouth to argue, but then closed it as he realized that JJ was right.

"I love Henry, Will. I could never regret him, ever…" JJ said.

"Then why won't you give us another chance?" Will asked angrily. "Henry deserves to grow up with two parents."

"He has two parents Will." JJ retorted. "I certainly hope that you aren't implying that that will change if we aren't together anymore." She snapped as she crossed her arms and stared him down.

"That's not what I meant and you know it." Will said as he pointed at JJ. "Why are you always twisting my words and turning them around on me?"

JJ sighed deeply as she realized that this was getting them nowhere. "This is exactly what I'm talking about Will. A relationship has to be built on more than having a child together or someday we'll resent each other. We agreed, remember?"

"Yeah… I remember." Will replied as he thought back to the discussion they'd had almost four months ago when they decided to split up. "but I…" Will muttered something under his breath.

JJ raised her eyebrows as she caught what Will muttered. "You thought that eventually we'd get back together didn't you?" JJ asked as she tipped her head studying Will. "That's why you were so agreeable about us splitting up. You thought that if you gave me time and space that I'd miss you and maybe I'd forget all about everything we talked about."

"I just didn't think you'd move on so quickly. Hell it's only been three months since we agreed to split up and two since I went to N'awlins." Will replied with his jaw clenched. "Just how long did it take you to jump in Spencer's bed?" Will taunted nastily.

"That's none of your business! Damn you Will LaMontagne!" JJ cursed. "Six months… a year… it wouldn't have changed any of this. I tried everything I could think of to save us. Everything… but we don't work together. You know what I think it is? I think you're jealous that I'm moving on before you got a chance to."

Will shifted uncomfortably in his seat as JJ hit a little too close to home.

"We are over Will, but you're right; Henry does deserve to have two parents that love him and can stand to be in the same room together. Holidays and birthdays would be a lot more pleasant if we could be friends." JJ said as she stood up from the couch, turned on her heels, and headed upstairs.

JJ fumed as she packed a few things to go spend the night at Spence's. She'd be damned if she'd stay here and deal with Will. Henry was down for the night. She'd get up early and come back before Henry woke up.

Then her hands paused as she picked her pajamas up off the bed. How would she feel if it was the other way around? Would she be angry and hurt if it she wanted to get back together and Will said no? How would she feel if Will was already in another relationship? They had spent the four years together. He deserved the benefit of the doubt, even if he was being an ass right now.

She finished packing and stepped out into the hallway only to run into the solid wall of Will's chest.

"JJ, I…" Will paused as he looked as JJ's duffle bag and then at JJ with large eyes. "Where the hell are you going?" he asked angrily.

JJ held her hand up. "Stop it Will. If this is about Henry, you don't have to worry. Spence isn't trying to replace you." JJ said as she shook her head. "You are Henry's father and you always will be. I'm not trying to cut you out of Henry's life. I'm just moving on with my own life. Just because you and I aren't together doesn't mean you're losing Henry. Henry loves you. You're his Daddy, but he loves his Uncle Spence too… Don't make him choose. Don't put him in the middle. He is the only person that should matter now. Tonight should have been proof enough that you and I don't work."

"JJ…" Will said softly.

JJ shook her head. "Think about what I said and sleep on it. We can talk more tomorrow… but for tonight I'm going to get out of here before either of us says something that we really regret and can't take back."

Will nodded.

"I really would like us to be able to be friends Will." JJ murmured as she slipped past Will and headed downstairs.

Will watched her go. Then he turned to follow her. Maybe a beer and some Sports Center would help him clear his mind.

"Dada?" he heard softly from just beyond the door of Henry's room.

"Hey Henry, what are you doing awake?" Will spoke softly as he entered Henry's room. "You're supposed to be asleep." He said as he sat down on the edge of Henry's bed.

"Yewwing waked me up." Henry said as he looked up at his Daddy with sad eyes.

That cut through Will's heart like a knife. How many times had a fight between him and JJ woke up their son and they hadn't noticed because they'd been too busy screaming at each other about god knows what. "I'm sorry buddy. Mommy and I didn't mean to be so loud or to wake you up." Will whispered as he leaned down and kissed the top of Henry's head.

"I no wike it." Henry whimpered.

Will sighed. "I know buddy. I don't like it when Mommy and I fight either." He said as he lay down on the bed next to Henry and looked at the little boys blue eyes just like his mothers. Then out of curiosity and because a two year old would tell you anything you wanted to know if you asked the right questions. "Do Mommy and Uncle Spencer fight?"

"No" Henry shook his head. "Unca 'Pence make Mama waff… he make me waff too."

"Yeah?" Will asked as he tried to remember the last time he'd made JJ laugh. He began to realize exactly what JJ was talking about when he realized how long it had been since he'd seen her laugh. And that didn't even count, because he wasn't the one who'd made her laugh…. Maybe she had a point. "What else do you like about spending time with Uncle Spencer?" Will asked as he looked at Henry.

"He wead to me an tell me 'tories… we pway… "

"Sounds like you have a lot of fun with Uncle Spencer." Will said sincerely as he realized how much Spencer meant to Henry and how important a part of his little boy's life Spencer had become.

"Uh huh" Henry nodded. "Dada you 'tay an pway wif us?" Henry asked in a sleepy voice.

"Sure buddy…" Will replied as he watched Henry's eyes flutter open and shut as he fell back asleep. He leaned forward and kissed his small son on the forehead. The best thing to come out of his and JJ's relationship had been Henry. He couldn't afford to screw it up. The fighting between himself and JJ had to stop. It was already affecting Henry and he was only two. JJ was right. They didn't work as a couple. They hadn't for quite some time, but they could be friends and raise their son together. It'd take him some time…but he had to let JJ go. That probably made it a good thing that he needed to go back to New Orleans for at least a few more months.

* * *

><p>It was late and Emily was exhausted as she made her way up the stairs of her building. She walked down the hall towards her condo door, juggling her keys in her hand. She absent mindedly reached up and scratched the back of her head. And then she saw it. A long box wrapped with a ribbon was leaning against her door.<p>

* * *

><p>Spence wearily walked up the stairs to his apartment. He'd much rather be going over to JJ's and climbing into bed with his girlfriend, but it was late and she was probably sound asleep. Plus she had company. Until he heard from her how things had gone with Will, it could make for an awkward morning tomorrow if he stayed at JJ's tonight.<p>

He opened his door and left the lights off as he kicked off his shoes, hung up his coat, and set his messenger bag off to the side. He loosened his tie as he headed for the bathroom. It had been a long day and all he wanted was a shower and then a good night's sleep. He could feel a headache beginning to develop, but maybe he could fall asleep before it became a full blown headache that kept him awake all night. That was part of the reason he had invited Emily to go see "Solaris" even though it was five hours long. Chances are he wouldn't be able to fall asleep if he was getting a headache anyway.

JJ burrowed her face into the Spence scented pillows at the sound of the shower running across the hall. She heard the water shut off and then she blinked against the light as the bathroom door opened a moment later revealing a naked backlit Spence towel drying his hair. Then he reached over and shut off the overhead bathroom light, leaving on the nightlight as he continued to towel dry his hair and walk across the hall to the bedroom.

"What the…?" Spence murmured as he made out the silhouetted figure lying in his bed.

"Surprise" JJ replied softly at the sound of his voice.

"JJ, what are you doing here?" Spence asked as he pulled back the covers and climbed into bed next to her.

"Will and I had a fight. I needed to get away from him before I said something that I couldn't take back." JJ said as she snuggled up against Spence.

"What did you fight about?" Spence asked as he buried his face in JJ's hair, delighting in the smell and touch of his girlfriend.

"You were right. He wanted to get back together."

Spence pulled back to look at JJ. "You told him no right?" he asked slightly insecure.

JJ smiled and shook her head. "I'm here aren't I, in your bed, waiting for you?"

"Yeah." Spence replied as he leaned down and kissed JJ softly. "Not that I'm not happy about it, but why'd you come over here? You could have just gone to bed and ignored Will." Spence said as he ran his fingers through JJ's hair.

"I just wanted to get a good night's sleep." JJ said biting her lip as she looked up at Spence. "I just sleep better with you there and I thought maybe if I slept here completely surrounded by the smell of you, that I'd sleep better."


	7. Chapter 7

Here's chapter 7 - I'm glad I could get them to you guys in just over a week this time :D - And I actually have part of chapter 8 typed up as well - so more to come relatively soon :D

Thansk so much for all of your reviews, favoriting, and story alerts. And of course, a huge thanks to my beta DetectiveNikkiBenson040709.

I don't own Criminal Minds.

Happy reading and enjoy :D

* * *

><p>JJ sat down on the edge of the bed next to Spence as she wrote a note for Spence. He was sleeping so peacefully that she didn't want to wake him up. She knew what a struggle it was for him to get a good night's sleep right now due to the headaches that were plaguing him. She'd woken up more than once to find Spence staring at the ceiling in the middle of the night attempting to overcome his headache and fall asleep by shear willpower.<p>

She leaned forward and put the finished note on Spence's nightstand, weighing it down with his cell phone so that it wouldn't be lost or missed when he woke up. Then she felt Spence shift in the bed next to her.

"Hey, what are you doing up?" Spence asked in a groggy just woke up voice. He wasn't sure what time it was, but he could tell that it was still early based on how dark it was in the room. He lifted his head and turned to look at the alarm clock next to the bed. "It's only five thirty." He said as he laid his back on the pillow and looked at JJ.

"Hey, I didn't want to wake you up. I need to get home before Henry wakes up…" JJ whispered, hoping that if Spence didn't wake up completely he'd be able to fall back asleep after she left.

Spence nodded and reached up and wiped his hand across his face and nodded. "Okay… well let me…" Spence said as he started to pull the covers back.

JJ laid her hand on top of Spence's and stopped him. "Go back to sleep baby." She murmured as she leaned down to kiss him goodbye. "Mm" She moaned as Spence wrapped her and pulled her closer. After a long heated kiss, JJ pulled back and lifted the hand that had been holding her above Spence to cup his cheek. Her thumb trailed over his cheek bone. "I love you. Get some more sleep and have sweet dreams." She said as she leaned down to peck him on the lips.

"I love you too JJ." Spence replied. "Tell Henry I said hi."

JJ smiled. "I will. I talk to you later okay?" At Spence's nod and sleepy smile, JJ leaned down to give him one last goodbye kiss. Then she forced herself to stand up and walk out of the room when what she really wanted to do was crawl back in bed. She glanced back when she reached the doorway of Spence's room and smiled when she saw that he was already drifting back to sleep.

* * *

><p>JJ was surprised to see lights on when she arrived home. She expected to find Will passed out on the couch with a rerun of Sports Center on the TV, but instead she found him up and in the kitchen with a note pad and a cup of coffee at the kitchen table. "What are you doing up already?" JJ asked as she sat her purse on the counter and grabbed a mug to pour herself the first of what she was sure would be many cups of coffee that day.<p>

"Mornin'" Will said with a nod of his head as he lifted his coffee mug to take a sip. "I woke up thinkin' about everything you said last night… actually I spent most of the night thinkin', and you're right. Henry is the most important person in all of this and I do want us to be able to spend time together with him without the fightin'."

"Okay…" JJ said setting her cup of coffee down on the table and then taking the seat across the table from Will. She wasn't sure what it was that had changed his mind and his attitude, but she certainly wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth either. "So what did you think about?"

"Well a few things. I need to go back to N'awlins to wrap up a few things there. It'll probably take a few more months. I've been workin' on renovatin' and fixin' up my Daddy's house so that I can sell it. The guys have all been helpin' me." Will said explaining just what he'd been doing in New Orleans for the last couple of months.

"Really? How's it going?" JJ asked taking a sip of her coffee. She remembered how badly damaged Will's childhood home had been when he'd taken the team to see 'Jones' carved in the wall. Detective William LaMontagne Sr.'s last act with Katrina bearing down on his home had been to carve the word 'Jones' into the wall of his home so that it would left behind for his son to find. That word carved into the wall of a hurricane damaged home had helped his son and the BAU almost two years later to catch a serial killer.

"Good" Will nodded. "We salvaged what we could since I never really went through the house before, you know?"

JJ nodded in understanding.

"Then we ripped out the damaged sheetrock. I haven't worked that hard since I had a roofin' job in the summer during college." Will said with a smile as he continued to describe the details of all of the work he and his buddies had managed to accomplish.

JJ nodded along as she listened to Will talk about the repairs.

"So, I figure it'll take us at least another few months or so to get everything completely finished off and get it ready to be put on the market." Will explained. "Then I'll be ready to move back here. I want to be around for Henry. I missed too much already, but now's a good time to work on my Daddy's house. It needs doin', and I need time away. I… cher…" Will sighed. "I guess I don't rightly get to call you that anymore… I need the time away to let you go and to move on."

JJ nodded. "It's okay Will, I understand. Henry will be okay. He loves talking to you on the phone… it's only a few months."

Will nodded.

JJ cleared her throat. "What do you want to do about this house?"

"JJ…" Will said pausing to gather his thoughts. He really hadn't thought about what to do with the house they'd bought together. He'd been more focused on what he needed to accomplish in New Orleans so he could get back to DC, his son, and life after JJ. How had he missed something as large as the house they'd purchased together? "I… really hadn't thought about that…" Will continued in a puzzled voice.

"I think we should sell it and…" JJ started but was interrupted by Will.

"Cher… sorry it's going to take some time to get used to not callin' you that. JJ, I don't want to put you and Henry out on the street… this is his home."

"And wherever we move to will be his home too Will. And when you get settled back here in DC, wherever you are, that will be his home too. A home isn't a place Will; it's the people you're surrounded by." JJ explained. "And who knows how long it will take to sell, but we might as well get the process started."

As the sun rose, JJ and Will continued to discuss how to move forward with the dissolution of the remaining ties in their relationship to one another other than co-parenting Henry and a possible future friendship based on Henry's best interests.

"Oh shoot" JJ said as she glanced at her watch. "I'm going to be late. Can you please get Henry up and get him ready?" JJ said as she jumped up and put her coffee cup in the sink.

"Why don't we just let him sleep? He can stay home with me and help me get some things packed up." Will suggested. "Plus it gives us a little extra time to spend together. Actually, why don't you just leave him at home with me the rest of this week?"

"Are you sure? I know you have a lot to get done." JJ asked.

"Yeah. It'll be good. Especially since it will be a while before we get to spend a whole week together again."

JJ nodded in agreement. "Okay then."

* * *

><p>JJ shook her head as she sat in the update meeting with the task force. As she listened to the last report on what had been found or more accurately what hadn't been found. "So essentially what you are all saying is that you don't know where he is, you don't know where he's been, and you have no idea where he's going?"<p>

One by one the heads around the conference table nodded.

JJ leaned forward and pinched the bridge of her nose. What she wouldn't give to be back at the BAU.

* * *

><p>Spence sat at his desk working on the stack of case files. He just had a few more case files to go and he'd have his stack of consults cleared, at least until Hotch showed up delivered more as he attempted to clear his desk.<p>

His phone vibrated on his desk and he smiled as he glanced down to see JJ's number on his caller ID. "Hey JJ" he answered his phone and propped it momentarily between his shoulder and his ear as he signed his name to a file with a flourish of his pen. Then he set down the pen and focused on his conversation with JJ.

"Hey you. Whatcha doin'?" She asked cutely.

Spence chuckled. "I just finished up my stack of files."

"Oh good. So, no case then?"

"No, at least not at the moment." Spence replied.

"In that case, why don't you come over for dinner tonight? Henry hasn't seen you in a couple of days."

Spence hesitated. He really wanted to spend time with JJ and Henry, but Will was there too. "Are… are you sure that's a good idea?"

JJ grinned. She was glad that she and Will had talked that morning and worked things out. If it wasn't for that, his 180 degree attitude swing from last night would almost be hard to believe. "Actually, it was Will's idea... well Henry's really. Apparently Henry asked Will if the three of you could play together."

Spence smiled. "Well if it was Henry's idea… do you need me to bring anything?"

"Just your handsome, sexy, self." JJ smiled.

"Okay, well I'm done here to I'll take off now and go home and change. Meet you at your house in a little bit?" Spence asked.

"Yeah, I'm actually leaving right now… so I'll see you in a little bit." JJher replied as she opened car door and slid inside.

* * *

><p>Spence shut off the engine of his Volvo Amazon in JJ's driveway. He took a deep breath in an attempt to calm his nerves. Quite frankly, he was nervous as hell.<p>

JJ smiled as she glanced out the window and saw Spence sitting in his car in the driveway. She glanced over at Henry and Will who were building something with Henry's blocks; then she grabbed her coat and pulled it on as she went out to greet Spence.

Spence startled at the sound of the passenger door of his car opening. Then he smiled at the sight of his girlfriend leaning down and sliding into the car.

JJ grinned at Spence. "Were you planning on coming inside baby?" JJ asked as she leaned over and kissed him hello.

"I was uh…" Spence began, his voice cracking slightly.

"Bracing yourself for it?" JJ asked with a soft smile of understanding on her face as Spence nodded. "It really is going to be okay… last night… probably not so much." JJ said as she thought back to the fight she had with Will the night before.

Spence took a deep calming breath and then leaned over to kiss JJ. "Okay, let's go inside." He said as he took his hand back from JJ's.

JJ got out of the car and waited at the front of the car for Spence; then hand in hand they walked up the steps and through the front door.

At the sound of the front door opening and closing, Henry looked up. "Unca 'Pence, you hewe!" Henry exclaimed as he jumped up from his knees and scampered over to his Uncle Spence.

"Hey Henry. I missed you." Spence said as he bent down to pick up the toddler who was holding his arms up to be picked up.

Henry nodded in agreement. "I miss you too."

"So what are you and Daddy doing?" Spence asked and then glanced over to where Will sat watching and nodded a greeting.

"We pwayin wid bwocks." Henry replied. "You pway wid us."

"What do you say to ask nicely?" JJ asked as stepped up next to Spence and Henry from hanging up their coats.

"Oh" Henry gasped "Pwease?"

"Well how could I say no to that?" Spence replied and walked across the living room to where Will sat on the floor next to a large pile of blocks.

"Spencer" Will said with a nod in greeting a little tensely.

"Hey Will" Spence replied as he sat Henry down next to Will and then sat down next to Henry.

JJ smiled as she watched Will and Spence talk to Henry while they built with the blocks. Then she slipped out of the room to go make dinner.

A short while later JJ walked back into the living room and was greeted by the sight of a clock tower taller than Henry. Will was lifting Henry up to place the last block on the very top of the tower.

"Wook Mama!" Henry squealed excitedly as he pointed to the tower that his Daddy and Uncle Spence had helped him build.

"I see baby. That's a big tower. Did you have fun building that with Daddy and Uncle Spence?" JJ asked as she smiled at Henry where he was settled on Will's hip.

"Uh huh" Henry nodded eagerly.

"Good. Dinner's ready. Are you hungry?"

"Yay!" Henry cheered.

Will chuckled. "Come on jumpin' bean." He said as he walked toward the bathroom. We have to wash our hands first right?"

"Wight" Henry nodded in agreement.

"Hey you." JJ said as she walked up next to Spence and then leaned up to kiss him. "How did it go?" she asked as she pulled away.

"It was a little tense at first." Spence said with a slight shrug as he took JJ's hand and followed her as she led him to the kitchen. "but, then we just focused on Henry. I'm sure it will get better with time."

JJ nodded. "I hope you're right."

Spence nodded, knowing how JJ wanted Will to remain a part of Henry's life. "So what can I do to help?" Spence asked as he glanced around the kitchen.

"Well first off, big boys have to wash their hands before dinner too." JJ said with a wink at Spence. Then she settled her hands on his hips and guided him over to the sink where they both washed their hands.

* * *

><p>After dinner, they watched a movie for a short while to calm Henry down. As the movie finished, JJ glanced at Henry seated in Will's lap. "Come on baby boy, you need a bath." JJ said holding out her hands.<p>

"Tell you what, how about I give our jumpin' bean here a bath and get him ready for bed so you and Uncle Spencer spend some time together?" Will asked as he stood up and lifted Henry under his arm like a sack of potatoes. He killed him, but he knew he had to take a first step towards accepting that JJ and Spencer were a couple… this gave him the opportunity to do that and spend time with Henry.

"Dada!" Henry squealed as he wiggled in his Daddy's grasp.

"Come on jumpin' bean. Mommy says you need a bath." Will said as he carried his giggling son up the stairs for bath time.

JJ turned to look at Spence after watching Henry wiggle and squirm as his Daddy carried up to take a bath. She scooted closer to Spence and snuggled into his side and wrapped her arm around his waist.

A tense smiled crossed Spence's face as JJ snuggled into his side and he wrapped his arm around her holding her close. He let his head fall back and rest on the back of the couch.

"Headache?" JJ asked as she rubbed her hand up and down Spence's side.

Spence nodded his head. He closed his eyes and allowed his head to loll to the side facing JJ.

"Baby, I wish I knew what was causing your headaches… that I could make it better for you." JJ whispered softly as she reached up and lightly brushed her fingers across his face.

"You help a lot JJ… just being with you makes me feel better. So… how did it go with Will this morning and tonight before I got here… we didn't really get a chance to talk today."

JJ pulled her legs up and laid them across Spence's lap as she snuggled in closer and began to tell him about how she and Will had a very civilized conversation about what their breakup meant. "So… it was a good conversation. We tied up the loose ends of our relationship and agreed to do what's best for Henry."

Spence nodded. "That's good. I'm glad that Henry has that, that's the most important thing."

JJ nodded and leaned up to kiss Spence. "I know. Thank you."

"For what?" Spence asked in confusion.

JJ shook her head. "You've been so supportive always. Knowing what I know now, I can't imagine what it was like for you to have to watch Will and I together for the last almost four years... but then you've always had what you thought were my best interests at heart… and Henry's best interests at heart… so thank you just for being you." JJ said as she kissed him again.

Spence shrugged. "I don't know how to be anybody else."

JJ giggled. "And that is exactly why I love you." She pressed in closer to his side and kissed him again, this time however, she didn't pull back, but instead continued to press kisses against her boyfriend's lips. Her fingers carded into the hair above his ear, her nails scratching lightly against his scalp. Her thumb rubbed gently at his temple as sucked and nibbled on his lower lip.

Spence groaned and shifted, pulling JJ closer as the kiss became more adventurous. His lips opened slightly under the onslaught of JJ's kisses. His tongue slipped out and traced his girlfriend's lip, deepening the kiss as his tongue tangled with hers.

Then JJ remembered the fact that Will was upstairs getting Henry ready for bed, which meant they would be coming back downstairs at any moment. "Spence, baby, as much as I would love to continue this… we can't." she said knowing that they wouldn't have their normal privacy after Henry was put to bed. She also didn't want to put any of them in the awkward position of Will walking in on them making out.

Spence nodded his head in understanding and rested his forehead against JJ's. "I love you." he murmured softly and leaned to kiss her softly.

JJ nodded. "I love you too. So how was work?"

"You mean other than fighting off Emily and Derek adding a few extra consults from their stacks into mine every time I got up to get coffee?" Spence asked.

JJ chuckled softly. "Well I don't know about Hotch, but I always used to account for that by actually giving them more files than you in the first place."

Spence smiled at the thought that JJ had been watching out for him before they even got together. "Well, I…" he paused as he heard Will coming down the stairs.

JJ too heard Will coming down the stairs and shifted her legs under her so that was she was still leaning into Spence's side, she was practically in his lap.

"Here we go. One fresh clean little jumpin' bean." Will said softly as he reached the bottom of the stairs. Henry was in warm pair of pajamas and curled up on his Daddy's shoulder.

"Hey baby boy, you look sleepy." JJ said as she tipped her head to look at Henry.

Henry nodded his head against his Daddy's chest.

"Henry insisted that Mommy had to read for story time." Will explained.

"Okay. I'll be back down in a few minutes." JJ said as she turned to look at Spence.

Spence nodded in understanding.

Henry shook his head. "Unca 'Pence tome too."

JJ's eyes darted up to look at Will.

Will tensed briefly, but then realized that this was part of his son's new world and he had to accept it. "Okay, Uncle Spencer can join us for story time." He said with a nod of his head.

Spence glanced back and forth between JJ and Will for a few moments and then stood to join them as they walked upstairs to Henry's room for story time.

* * *

><p>"I wish you were staying the night" JJ said softly as she kissed Spence goodnight at the door.<p>

"I do too." Spence replied as he stood with his arms wrapped tightly around JJ's waist. "But I don't think that would be fair to Will. I think he's more than met us half way tonight between us playing together with Henry, having dinner together, and then us all being there for Henry's story time… I'm sure he could use a break and a little time to adjust."

JJ nodded her head and bit her lip. "So I wasn't just imagining how tense he was while I was reading to Henry?"

"No, but I can't say that I blame him. It's a big adjustment for him to see you with someone else… and he's definitely making an effort. You just need to give him time. It will probably help too when he starts seeing other people."

JJ nodded. "I'm sure it will. I love you. I'll talk to you tomorrow." JJ murmured against his lips as she kissed him goodnight one last time.

"I love you too." Spence replied and then slipped out the door to head for his apartment that no longer felt like home since there was no JJ or Henry there.

* * *

><p>"Tsia, its Emily. Where are you?" Emily asked her longtime friend and former teammate, glancing over her shoulder as she walked into the round table room for the briefing.<p>

"Bois de Boulogne" Tsia replied into her phone with a smile as she took a sip of her wine outside a café in Paris.

"Well, that's a significant change of address." Emily replied in confusion.

"That's not the only change." Tsia replied with a grin. "I got engaged."

"Wow, so you and Jeremy are gonna…" Emily paused for a lack of words and took a deep breath. "That's great."

"Emily" Tsia replied with a bit of concern "What's wrong?"

"Have you heard from Sean?"

"Yes, he's been calling me for days."

"But you haven't talked to him?"

"I don't work for him anymore; I'm out."

"So's Doyle." Emily said, pausing for a moment to let the reality sink in. "Sean thinks we're all in danger, but I was the only one who had any personal connection to him."

"As far as Doyle is concerned, Lauren Reynolds died in a car accident. Jeremy and I made sure of that. Okay? I want to hear you say it. Go on."

"Lauren Reynolds is dead." Emily said and turned her head just in time to notice that Reid had walked into the round table room as he set his messenger bag on the table.

"Sweetie, trust me. You died and we're all good." Tsia said attempting to assure Emily that everything would be okay.

"Okay, just be careful and give Jeremy my love. Bye." Emily said as she hung up and pulled her cell phone away from her face.

"Who's Lauren Reynolds?" Reid asked, his voice cracking from lack of sleep.

Emily spun in her chair to face Reid and shook her head slightly as she attempted to think on her feet and cover. "She was a friend of mine."

"How'd she die?" Reid asked in concern.

"A car accident." Emily answered quickly as she saw the rest of the team approaching down the catwalk.

"I'm really sorry." Reid replied and then turned to glance over his shoulder at the sound of Rossi's 'Good morning' as the rest of the team filed into the room.

"Let's get started" Hotch said as everyone found their spot around the table.

"Hey, thank you all for coming," Garcia said as her heals clicked across the flooring and moved to take her seat at the table. "as time is of the essence." She brought the case up on the screen. "Okay, Molly Grandin, 25 years old, she's been missing approximately 24 hours…"

* * *

><p>"Hi baby" JJ said answering her cell phone as she sat down on her bed. "How's the case going?"<p>

Spence sighed as he leaned back against the headboard of his bed at the hotel and kicked off his shoes. "Well we've gone from the unsub being a male to it being a female offender. We called it a night since it was late and we're going to get a fresh start tomorrow. How are you?"

"I'm good. Will finished getting everything packed up today. He took the majority of everything to put into storage until he gets back from New Orleans in a few months. It's amazing how empty it looks now…" JJ said as she glanced around. "I know Henry's going to be sad when Will has to go back to New Orleans in a couple of days too. Other than all of that, things have been pretty uneventful… I miss you."

"I miss you too…" Spence said as they continued talking for a bit.

JJ nodded in response to something Spence said. "Well hopefully you guys will be able to get the case wrapped up and come home soon." JJ said as she turned off the lamp and slid down in the covers. "It's getting late baby, you should probably get some sleep."

Spence sighed. "I have a headache, so I don't think I'll be able to sleep."

JJ winced in sympathy. "Okay, well did you at least change out of your clothes so that you'll be comfortable in case you do fall asleep?"

Spence glanced down at his shirt, loosened tie, sweater vest, and dress pants with his belt still buckled. He'd laid his sports coat over the back of a chair before calling JJ. "Uh…"

"Spence, baby I can tell that you didn't. Take a hot shower and change into pajamas it might help you sleep." JJ said soothingly.

"And if that doesn't work?" Spence questioned.

A wicked smirk crossed JJ's face. "If that doesn't work, you can always imagine that I'm there with you… or you can call me back."

A look of confusion crossed Spence's face. "I love you… and of course I wish you were here… but how is thinking about you being here or calling you back supposed to help me get to sleep?"

JJ giggled. "Baby… you can either imagine what we could be doing if I was there… or if for some reason your imagination isn't vivid enough, you can call me and I can tell you all about what I'd do to you if I was there… either way, I'm sure after you took hold of the situation you'd relax enough to sleep for at least a little bit. You always do."

Spence blushed at what his girlfriend was implying. "JJ… are you suggesting I masturbate while thinking about you?"

JJ smiled. She could practically hear Spence blushing over the phone. "Mm hm… I don't think it would be the first time and if it makes you feel better, I've done it lots of times while thinking about you. Do you want me to walk you through it?" JJ asked in a sultry voice. "I'd be more than happy to. So, baby, what are you wearing?" JJ asked in her best bedroom voice.

Spence groaned at the sound of JJ's voice over the phone and felt his pants become much tighter. "um… a dress shirt, a tie, a sweater vest, dress pants…"

JJ clicked her tongue. "You are way too over dressed for what I have in mind baby… strip down to your boxers."

"JJ" Spence attempted to argue.

"Spence, baby, just pretend that I'm there with you and do it." JJ said encouragingly, biting her lip at the thought of Spence stripping. She was really hoping she could get Spence to relax enough to get even just a little sleep.

Spence stood up and walked over to the chair that his sports coat was resting over and pulled his tie off over his head, followed by unbuttoning his sweater vest and shirt, fumbling a bit as he did it one handed.

"Talk to me baby." JJ said leaning back against the headboard of her bed as she tried to imagine what Spence looked like at the moment.

"I'm just… hang on a second." Spence said setting his phone on the table as he removed his watch and laid it on the table. Then pulled off his sweater vest, followed by his shirt and draped them over the back of the chair with his sports coat. He glanced down. He unbuckled his belt and stepped out of his pants. Then he picked up his phone. "Okay, I'm down to my boxers."

JJ smiled. "Good, now go lay down on the bed."

"JJ… I'm not really… this is kind of…"

"Baby, haven't you ever had phone sex before?" JJ asked, dropping the sexy voice to ask the question.

"No… I… it just seems weird."

"Baby… trust me, it's not…" JJ replied. "So… are you hard?" she asked resuming the sultry voice. "You are aren't you?"

"Mm hm" Spence moaned into the phone, his hips twitching in response to the sound of JJ's voice.

"Good, slide your hand into your boxers and wrap your hand around yourself." JJ continued in her low sultry sexy voice. "Does it feel good?"

"N…not as good as when you do it." Spence replied.

"I know baby, it feels better when you touch me than me touching myself like I am right now." JJ reassured him, hoping that she'd also given him a thrilling thought to think about.

"JJ" Spence groaned as his hips bucked into his hand at the thought of JJ touching herself while she was on the phone with him.

"I know baby, me too." JJ moaned. "Do you want to know what I'd do if I was there?"

"W…what?" Spence croaked.

"I'd straddle you where you're lying on the bed and kiss you… then I'd kiss my way down to your chin and along your jaw… I'd nibble on your earlobe and breathe in your ear while I told you how much I love you… and all the while I'd be grinding against you because I want you so bad. God baby, I want you soooo bad." JJ gasped.

"JJ… I…" Spence moaned as his breathing sped up.

"Shh, I know baby. I know you want me too… just let me do this for you. Let me make you feel better so you can sleep. Then I'd kiss my way down your chest… I'd pause here and there to look up at you and make sure that you're enjoying what I'm doing… you are enjoying it aren't you baby?"

Spence groaned as he hips twitched and he thrust into his own hand.

JJ groaned in response… but somehow managed to continue on with her story. "Good, so then I'd slide further down along your body until I was low enough to rest my chin on your hip and I'd pull you out of your hard on out of your boxers… but you've already done that right now haven't you, baby?"

"Yes… JJ, love you…"

"I love you too baby." JJ crooned. "Which why the next thing I would do is lick you like a lollipop. I'd run my tongue up along the your erection and then I'd swirl it around the tip and just when I thought you couldn't take anymore, I'd swallow you whole… well at least as much of you as I could anyway."

Spence whined into the phone at JJ describing giving him a blow job… god he wished she were actually here.

"Then just when you were on the edge, I'd stop. Do you want to know why?"

"W...why?" Spence gasped.

"Because I want you inside me, because I'm so hot and wet… god baby…." JJ purred.

Spence grunted in response. He'd been turned on the first time JJ talked dirty in his ear… and right now he was about to explode… and when he got home… he was going to return the favor… over and over and over. Yep, he was definitely going to be using some of the scenarios his genius brain had been storing up. "JJ… oh god…"

"Mm hm" JJ murmured in agreement. "and you feel so good while I'm ridding you… you're hitting all the right spots… and I'm clenching down on you because I just can't help it… and baby, can you feel it…"

"Uh huh" Spence managed to reply as his hips thrust furiously at the image he had in his mind of JJ riding him.

"God Spence…" JJ whined "and I want to ride you like this all night… but I know neither of us are going to last because we're too close… and it feels so good… and I lean down and kiss you and I'm nuzzling your neck and kissing your ear and I whisper I love you over and over again in your ear… god I love you so much baby… now and forever…" JJ continued in a soft bedroom voice.

"JJ!" Spence cried out as he exploded in his own hand and then gasped as he took several deep breaths. "I love you too, JJ" Spence said as he lay back against the pillows gasping to catch his breath.

JJ smiled into the phone at how much more relaxed Spence sounded. "How do you feel baby?"

Spence paused for a moment in thought. "A little better"

"Good now go take a hot shower and crawl into bed and sleep. Sweet dreams baby. Oh and Spence?"

"Yeah JJ?" Spence asked as he stood up from the bed and kicked off his boxers.

"You can so count on everything I said happening for real when you get home." JJ murmured and bit her lip to fight back a moan. While Spence might be relaxed, she was now all worked up.

Spence chuckled. "I was hoping so… don't worry I promise I'll return the favor and then some. You better rest up." He grinned. "Goodnight JJ… sweet dreams."

"Spence" JJ moaned and then took a deep breath. "I love you… be safe."

"I will" Spence nodded. "I love you too." Then he hung up the phone and headed for the shower.

JJ slumped back against the headboard as she hung up the phone. Hopefully the team solved the case and came home soon. She might have fixed Spence's problem, at least for tonight… but she'd created one for herself. All she could think about right now was the very descriptive encounter that she'd described for Spence… that and just how exactly he was going to return the favor and then some. She groaned and then she stood up and headed for the bathroom to take a shower, hoping that would distract her from thinking about just what Spence had in mind for when he got home.

* * *

><p>"Garcia, both families have released their daughters' medical records. Have you gotten access to those yet?" Emily asked as she stood with Reid and Seaver.<p>

"Yes, both women went to the same hospital, but for different programs and at different times." Garcia explained.

"Maybe the unsub works at the hospital?" Seaver said as she turned around in her seat to look at Emily and Reid.

"Even if she conned her way into a job, I doubt she'd last long enough to get close to patient files." Emily explained.

"Maybe we were off in our profile. She doesn't find her victim's by chance like we thought. She hunts them." Reid theorized.

"Garcia does Syracuse General keep their surveillance footage of the entrances and exits?" Emily asked.

"Oh in this age of black market pharmaceutical drug trade, you betcha" Garcia replied. "I can get ya that."

Then Emily's cell phone rang. "Excuse me." She said as she walked past Reid and towards the hallway of the precinct.

"Tsia?" Emily asked as she rounded the corner into the quiet hallway and stood by a window where she could watch if anyone approached where she stood.

"He's gone."

"W… wh… who?" Emily asked confused about who Tsia was talking about. "What's going on?"

"Jeremy's dead." Tsia replied in a shocked voice as she held back tears for her fiancé.

"What?"

"I got home from work and he was just lying there. He…he'd been in the shower…I don't know, I couldn't see anything. They think it was a clot."

"He's not even forty, how," Emily paused briefly as someone walked past her, "how could…"

"He didn't have a pulse. I called the ambulance. They tried to revive him, but…"

"Did somebody break in?" Emily asked.

Tsia breathing rushed as she got more worked up while talking to Emily. "Uhg… I don't think so. L… l… look he… he was out for his run. He's training for a marathon."

That caused Emily to pause in her thoughts. "Was it his usual path?"

"Yes, but he came back early. He… he called me. He said he wasn't feeling well." Tsia explained.

"Did he fall down on the path? Did anyone run into him?"

"Oh god" Tsia whispered.

"How long have we been talking?" Emily asked and then pulled her phone away from her face to look at the call time. She put the phone back to her ear. "You've got to get out of there. Get a flight. Leave France. Get back to America. Cash transactions only from here on out. Am I clear?"

"It's him isn't it?" Tsia asked. "It's Doyle."

"Toss that cell phone and get home safely." Emily responded. Then she glanced back through the window at Reid and Seaver and wondered how she was going to keep the team safe from Doyle as she made eye contact with Reid through the window for just a moment before he glanced away. She knew he was trying to figure out what was going on with her, but it was best that the team didn't get involved.

* * *

><p>Emily sighed as she walked along the catwalk and headed for the exit through the round table room and the break room. It'd been a long day and she was just looking forward to relaxing for a bit with Sergio. Then her cell phone went off with a received text message. She stopped as she pulled the phone out of her suit jacket pocket and pulled up the message. She paused in brief contemplation at reading 'See you soon' sent from an unknown caller. She did her best to shake of her concern as she turned and once again headed out of the BAU.<p>

* * *

><p>"Dada, you no go." Henry pouted as his Daddy knelt in front of him in front of the line for the security check point at the airport.<p>

"I'm going to miss you too buddy." Will said "But you've got Mommy and Uncle Spencer to keep you company and we'll talk on the phone as much as we can. You like talking on the phone right?"

Henry nodded with his eyes locked on the floor while he played with the hem of his jacket.

"Hey, jumpin' bean, look at me" Will said. "It's going to be okay. The sooner I go, the sooner I can come back. When I get back I'm stayin' and the weather'll be nice and we can go to the park." Will said as he attempted to make his upset son smile. "I'll be back soon. I promise Henry. How about I call you tonight when I get there?" Will asked glancing up at JJ to get her agreement and looking back at Henry after she nodded.

Henry nodded.

"Okay jumpin' bean… how about a hug… and then Daddy has to go get in line." Will said as he held out his arms.

Henry stepped forward and buried his face in his Daddy's shoulder and wrapped his arms tight around his Daddy's neck.

Will wrapped his arms around Henry and stood up. "Be a good boy for Mommy. I love you Henry." Will whispered as he fought back tears at leaving Henry again for the next few months. "I've got to go Henry… go to Mommy." Will said as he shifted Henry into JJ's arms and then he turned to walk through the mostly empty queue for security screening. He paused to look back at JJ and Henry as she lifted his carryon bag and shoes onto the belt to go through the x-ray.

"Wave bye-bye to Daddy, baby" JJ whispered as she kissed Henry on the head.

Henry sniffled and then lifted his hand and waved until his Daddy was no longer visible after he went through the security check point and into the terminal. Then he turned and buried his face in Mommy's neck.

"You're tired aren't you baby?" JJ murmured against the top of Henry's head as he sobbed against her neck. "Come on let's go home so you can take a nap while we wait for Daddy to call."

Spence wrapped his arm around JJ's waist as they stood waiting for the elevator in the parking garage. He smiled at Henry as the little boy turned his head on Mommy's shoulder to look at him. Spence made a silly face that caused Henry to giggle just as the elevator doors opened to admit them.

JJ smiled as she glanced at Spence, glad that he'd been able to cheer Henry up. "Uncle Spence is silly isn't he Henry?"

"Uh huh" Henry nodded with a giggle.

"But we love him anyway don't we?" JJ asked.

"Uh huh" Henry nodded.

"You do?" Spence asked with a smile at Henry and a wink at JJ.

Henry nodded.

"Well that's good because I love you too… both of you." he said and then he leaned down and blew a raspberry on Henry cheek, causing a whole new fit of giggles for the little boy.

JJ smiled up at Spence and quickly leaned up to kiss him. "I love you." she murmured against his lips.


	8. Chapter 8

Hello everybody! Here's chaper 8 - I'll be working on chapters 9 these week so that I can get them out to you as soon as possible...

Happy reading and enjoy :D

* * *

><p>"Come on, is that the best you can do?" Morgan taunted as he held the heavy bag in place with his hip and shoulder.<p>

"I know I taught you better than that. Stick and move, stick and move. Jab, Jab, Jab, cross, uppercut, uppercut… stick and move, stick and move… roundhouse kick…. Come on now… throw in some combinations… come on… hit like you mean it instead of like a girl." Morgan smirked as he continued to taunt his hand to hand pupil while they worked over the heavy bag.

"Whoa…" Morgan said as he rocked on the balls of his feet due to the swaying of the heavy bag as it was pummeled by his student's combination of punches, kicks, and the occasional knee or elbow thrown in for good measure. He smiled. This student had taken to hand to hand like nobody's business… but then why should he be surprised. When she'd been on the team she'd been their sharpest shot. She could talk an unsub into giving up a hostage just by speaking from her heart. She could pull the wool over the eyes of even the most brazen of reporters. Hell she'd even talked him into the team taking a case or two he didn't think they should be working… so really why should he be surprised that Jennifer Jareau would be good at hand to hand combat? She was good at everything she put her heart into.

"Alright, alright… you've beaten the heavy bag into submission. You can stop." Morgan called out as JJ stepped back from the heavy bag to prepare her next attack.

JJ lifted her boxing glove clad hand and managed to undo the Velcro closure of her the boxing glove on her left hand. She tucked the glove under her right arm and pulled her wrapped hand out as she and Morgan walked over to the side of the gym where her bag sat. She dropped her glove into her bag and quickly undid the other glove and dropped it into her gym bag as well. She picked up her water bottle and took a big gulp of water.

"You know you're getting pretty good with the hand to hand." Morgan said with a smile. "Do you think you could work on getting some of that to rub off on pretty boy? After all I'm sure other things are rubbing off on him." Morgan teased, his eyes dancing as he jumped out of the way of JJ's swat.

"Morgan!" JJ squealed as she swatted at him. "Come back here… I'm going to kick your ass!" JJ laughed as she chased off across the gym after Morgan.

* * *

><p>"Hey Jayje" Penelope said in her normal chipper voice as JJ slid into the booth across from her.<p>

"Hey Pen… oh I love you." JJ said as she lifted the large vanilla late that was seated on her side of the booth and took a sip.

"Yes, caffeine is our friend and it's important to give it a proper greeting every morning." Penelope replied as she took a sip of her own coffee. "So tell me peaches… what's new with you? How did you and gorgeous gray matter spend your first Valentine's Day as a couple?" Penelope asked as she perused the menu.

JJ shrugged as she flipped a page in the menu. "It's been a strange couple of weeks with Will having been in town, so we really didn't get to celebrate…" JJ said trailing of at the apoplectic look on Pen's face.

"Didn't… you… holiday exclusively for lover's… new relationship… secretly in love with each other for years… finally together…. YOU DIDN'T CELEBRATE VALENTINE'S DAY?" Penelope shout whispered at JJ when she finally managed to string together a coherent sentence.

"Pen… do you think you could maybe turn it down a notch?" JJ asked as she glanced about at the people at all of the surrounding tables staring at them.

Penelope glanced about and then looked back at JJ. "Sorry peaches… but you didn't celebrate Valentine's Day? You've been cheated… that's like the one day a year where romance is a requirement."

JJ raised her eyebrows at Penelope. "If romance is a requirement, then doesn't that sort of defeat the purpose?"

"JJ… Why wouldn't you want to be swept off your feet by the affection and adoration of your one true love?"

JJ shook her head and smiled at Penelope. "Seriously Pen… really? Last time I checked we aren't Disney princesses."

"But Jayje, that's exactly the point. There are very few times in a girl's life when she gets to be treated like a princess… one of those times is your first Valentine's Day together as a couple."

JJ just raised an eyebrow skeptically at Pen and smirked as she took a sip of her coffee. She didn't need Spence to treat her like a princess, because they weren't living a fairy tale. What they had was better than a fairy tale. It was real. Sure fairy tales had pretty dresses; fancy balls; handsome princes; and happily ever afters; but that was always where the story ended, at happily ever after. She was finding that what happened after happily ever after was much more fulfilling. She knew she loved him and he loved her and building a life together that was the fulfilling part. Life was a journey not a destination.

"You've got to be kidding me…" Pen said as she slumped back in her seat. Then, fairy godmother that she was, she was struck with inspiration about how to right what she saw as an egregious wrong. "Okay my dove, here is what is going to happen," she said in her very best don't argue with my tone of voice. "I am going to take the most adorable godson on the planet for the night on Friday night and I'm going to use my connections… and by my connections, I mean Rossi's connections to get you and Reid a reservation at somewhere absolutely fantastic with food that is amazing and to die for and a dance floor. Then next Tuesday you can tell your benevolent fairy godmother, which would be yours truly, what a fantastic time you had and give me all the juicy details that happened after the carriage turned back into a pumpkin at midnight."

JJ laughed. "You can have Henry for the night on Friday."

Penelope's eye lit up gleefully as she began to plan how to spend the night with her favorite person in the world under three feet tall.

JJ held up her hand. "But I have a few conditions."

"JJ," Penelope protested "you can't put conditions on the love of a godparent… love for a child is supposed to be unconditional. Conditions defy the very meaning of the relationship."

JJ shook her head. "Oh I'm not putting conditions on the love… just your expression of it. First of all, no getting Henry all hoped up on sugar… he was so sick last time…"

"Okay," Penelope nodded. She had felt rather bad when her little cutie got a tummy ache because she let him have all the candy he wanted.

"And he better not come home with a whole new wardrobe either. He's a two year old little boy, not a twenty two year old fashion plate."

"Drats" Penelope muttered. "And no new toys either I suppose?"

JJ smiled at her friend. She knew how much Pen loved Henry; she just didn't want him to be spoiled. "One new toy… one Pen." JJ said as she caved at the pouty expression on her best friend's face.

"Okay, so now… is there any place that you've absolutely been dying to go that a little or a lot of dropping the name David Rossi can get you into?" Penelope asked, excited to help JJ plan the perfect night for her and Reid. After all they deserved it after all these years and just now finally getting together.

"Actually Pen… I think I've got the rest under control myself." JJ said with a smile.

Garcia's eyes lit up. "What do you have in mind... because I'm pretty sure I could get you in at Obelisk or Komi… unless you're thinking something more along the lines of Marcel's or Tosca?"

"Actually Pen, I'm thinking Spence would enjoy a quiet night in more than anything." JJ replied as she thought about the effect that a loud noisy restaurant could have on his headaches.

"But… you deserve a night out Jayje." Garcia protested.

JJ held up her hand. "Actually, I'd like a quiet night at home myself." She said to cover for the fact that as nice as it would be for her and Spence to have a night out on the town, she just wasn't sure if Spence would be up to it. Between the case load the team had been carrying, his headaches, and the several doctors appointments he'd been juggling, her man was exhausted and very much over due for a quiet night at home and some loving pampering.

"Okay… if you're sure" Garcia replied throwing a questioning glance at JJ. Then she muttered. "...don't know how you expect to keep the romance alive without the occasional night out… then again this is Reid we're talking about."

JJ just shook her head and decided to let Garcia's muttered comment slide. If she told Pen anything about her and Spence's relationship it was a sure bet that it would make its way back to Morgan and Spence would never hear the end of it.

* * *

><p>Emily cautiously checked the parking garage as she got of the elevator and headed towards her car. She paused a few feet from the car and peered inside, noting that it was still locked. She knelt down alongside the car and checked underneath for anything wires, devices, or fluids that might be out of place. After noticing that everything appeared to be okay, she walked several feet away and used the automatic starter to start her car, breathing in a sigh of relief when the engine turned over and there was no loud explosion or flames.<p>

* * *

><p>"So how's your day going?" JJ asked as she flipped through a stack of reports regarding various meetings while she ate her lunch and talked with Spence. She missed the BAU and the sense that she was helping people. It was easy to feel like nothing more than a bureaucrat pushing pile after pile of paper as she sat here, behind her desk, day after day. She longed for the feeling that she made a difference on a daily basis. Now more than ever she wondered what would have happened if she taken Hotch up on his offer to take the profiling classes a few years ago when he'd offered.<p>

Spence smiled into his cell phone, enjoying his lunch conversation with JJ. Quantico and the Pentagon might be too far apart for them to really be able to get together for lunch, but that didn't mean they didn't enjoy speaking to each other throughout the day when the team didn't have a case. "Good. I brought in that thermos of coffee today, so I haven't needed to get up from my desk. That's pretty much blocked Morgan from slipping me files today." Spence said cheerfully.

JJ laughed. "I bet it frustrated him to no end that you haven't had to get up from your desk."

"Yeah, it's been pretty entertaining." Spence replied as he watched Morgan glower at the stack of files before selecting another.

Morgan had decided to work at his old desk in the bullpen today for the camaraderie. It sometimes got lonely being in his office. He'd learned when taking over as the acting Unit Chief for a short time last year, that command was often a lonely position to be in. As much as he used to want to be the one making the decisions, he in no way envied the solitariness that was often placed on Hotch's shoulders as the team leader.

JJ giggled. "So what did you want to do tonight?"

"It's pretty nice today" Spence replied. "I was thinking we could…" he trailed off as Hotch walked through the bullpen on his way from Garcia's office to his own office.

"My team in the conference room in 30" Hotch called out as he reached the mezzanine.

Spence sighed. "JJ…"

"Its okay baby, I could hear Hotch. Call me if you get a chance later. I love you." JJ said with a soft smile into the phone.

Spence glanced down at his desk and turned his head so that it was facing away from Morgan. "I love you too" he said softly into the phone. He wasn't ashamed of loving JJ; he just didn't want to deal with the razzing he'd take from Morgan if he overheard his words of affection.

* * *

><p>Emily quickly crossed the busy plaza, full of people enjoying the early afternoon, to the predetermined meeting spot. She sat on the stone bench and pulled the disposable cell phone out of the abandoned newspaper just as it began to ring.<p>

"I was beginning to think you weren't coming" Tsia said into the phone as she saw Emily pick the phone up from several feet away in the plaza. "After what happened with Jeremy, I was afraid."

"Tsia, I'm sorry you can't be at his funeral. Its today; isn't it?" Emily asked, making a point not to glance over at where Tsia sat at a table off to her right.

"Well, that's the problem with marrying a member from your own team, if one of you is a target, so is the other. I get it." Tsia replied managing to keep her emotions in check.

"Hello darling" Clyde interjected himself into the conversation.

"Alright, let's make this quick. I took a late lunch." Emily said moving the conversation along.

"How many times do I have to tell you, I'm not quick about anything?" Clyde replied in his British accent.

Emily raised her eyebrow at Clyde's cockiness. "I don't know" she said drawing out her response as she pursed her lips in thought. "What about that time I blew my cover in Prague? You took out that sentry before I could even draw my weapon. Saved my ass Clyde."

"I'm surprised you remember the little people from your Interpol days now that you're a posh FBI profiler." Clyde said.

"What's being done to locate Doyle?" Emily asked bringing the conversation back to the business at hand and attempting to ignore Clyde's heavy flirting.

"Only every agency in the northern hemisphere is looking for him." Clyde said as he continued to casually look around the plaza for anything that was out of place.

"What are we doing to find him?" Emily asked brusquely.

"My contact at DCRI tracked one of Doyle's aliases leaving France the day after Jeremy's murder. He took a commercial flight to Beijing then doubled back on a train bound for Berlin." Tsia explained as she glanced about, keeping aware of their surroundings.

Clyde glanced behind him as he felt someone move past him. "But when GSG9 intercepted it, he was already gone."

"He sent me flowers. I think it's safe to assume he's coming here."

"Why is he doing this?" Tsia asked.

"Why do you think? We put him away." Clyde replied as if stating the obvious.

Emily paused, about to reply when her cell phone went off in her pocket, signaling that she had a text message. She fished into her suit jacket pocket and pulled out her phone. '911… BAU in 30 minutes'.

"Duty calls?" Clyde asked.

Emily paused as she looked down at the message on her phone, wondering how much the team would be able to help her figure out where Doyle was and how to bring him down.

"I know what you're thinking. Absolutely not. Your team isn't under oath. They don't have clearance." Clyde chastised.

"They could help." Emily replied as she tucked her cell phone back into her pocket.

"How? We don't even know where Doyle is. Involving them at this point would be premature." Tsia said, her eyes darting about as she watched the crowd.

"And reckless. Leave it to Tsia and I. You go be with your team." Clyde advised.

"Even in hiding Doyle can't resist extravagance. Track the money." Emily replied, adding her insight into Doyle.

"I will find him darling." Clyde reassured Emily. "Trust me."

"I don't trust anyone anymore." Emily said as she stood up from her bench and tossed the cell phone she'd been speaking into in the nearby garbage can.

Emily ditching the disposable cell and leaving the plaza was followed immediately by Tsia and Clyde doing the same.

* * *

><p>"Traffic, I'm sorry." Emily explained as she quickly strode into the round table room and took the open seat next to Reid.<p>

"Let's get started." Hotch said to the team in general.

"Ten year old Sammy Sparks of Lafayette Parish Louisiana showed up at his elementary school this morning covered in blood. When police got to his house, they found that his parents Charlie and Allison Sparks were missing." Penelope said from where she stood next to the monitor as she used the remote to cue the correct photos.

"Well forensics indicates at least one of them was injured," Morgan said as he looked back down at his iPad. "and by the looks of it, it was pretty severely."

"Has there been a ransom demand?" Emily asked.

"There's been no communication whatsoever." Garcia replied, gesturing with her hands and the remote.

"Then why call in the BAU?" Rossi asked.

"New Orleans is hoping that we can interview Sammy." Hotch explained.

"No one's talked to the witness yet?" Reid asked, confused.

"I don't understand. If Sammy was covered with blood, there's a good chance he can identify the unsub." Ashley said as she looked at Hotch.

"Sammy's autistic. Getting him to tell us what happened isn't going to be easy." Hotch explained.

* * *

><p>Emily excused herself and walked to the end of the side street where she'd been talking with Morgan and Ashley outside of the check cashing business as Clyde's number came up on her caller ID.<p>

"We found him." Clyde said into the phone.

"Where?" Emily asked.

He's headed for DC. We'll meet you there." Clyde replied, trying to avoid giving out too many details over the phone.

"Are we sure it's him?" Emily asked as she stood looking back down the street at Morgan and Ashley.

"It's Doyle alright. I'm looking at him right now." Clyde spoke into the phone as he looked down at the video of Doyle stepping off the private jet and onto US soil. "He chartered a private jet."

"How did he get past security checks?" Emily asked.

"He used an alias. Chuck Murray." Tsia explained.

"Isn't that?" Emily trailed off.

"Yeah, the name of his Irish wolfhound." Clyde replied.

"He's baiting us. He wants us to know he's here." Emily said into the phone.

"Message received." Tsia said as she glanced at Clyde.

"Let that bastard come to us." Clyde replied and then hung up the phone. He turned and grabbed a gun and clip from the case in the backseat. As he turned back to face front, he slid the clip into the gun.

* * *

><p>Penelope walked into Derek's office, a large bowl of popcorn in one hand, comedy and red peep toe sling back pumps in the other hand. She lifted up her hands to display the popcorn and the movie as Morgan lifted his head from the paperwork to look at her.<p>

Morgan smiled and tossed his pencil up in the air as his best friend invited him to a night of unwinding from the case by watching a movie. He knew the routine; they did it often enough now. They'd snag a couple of comfy chair and wheel them into the round table room and watch whatever comedy his baby girl had picked out to lighten their mood and the weight of the case still hanging over them.

"So what is it tonight mama?" Morgan asked as he wrapped his arm around Garcia's shoulders and they walked out of his office towards the round table room.

"'Life As We Know It' with the always charming and beautiful, and how could she not be as a fellow blond, Katherine Heigl and the always hunky, although nowhere near as hunky as you my delectable chocolate love muffin, Josh Duhamel." Garcia said in a chipper tone of voice.

Morgan chuckled and shook his head as they entered the round table room and got it set up for their movie night and break from case paperwork for a few hours.

* * *

><p>Hotch quietly slipped into Jack's room to kiss his son goodnight. As he knelt down and kissed the side of Jack's head, he couldn't help but feel for Allison Sparks. She'd lost the man she loved and would have to raise her son alone. Somehow, he knew from what he'd seen on the case and the evidence of how much the parents had loved and cared for Sammy, that she'd find a way to carry on for her son. After all, it's what he did everyday.<p>

* * *

><p>"Come on Ashley, you need to take a break. All work and no play makes Ashley a dull girl." Dave said with a playful grin as he stopped beside Ashley's desk where she was going over her text books and studying, highlighter in hand, prepared to mark something that struck her as important.<p>

"But I really need to…" Ashley began to argue.

"You really need to take a break so that your brain can absorb everything you're throwing at it." Dave said as he reached over and closed her text book. "I think a little car racing would work wonders for you this evening."

"Car racing… what?" Ashley asked in confusion as Dave pulled her up to his office. Then her eyes widened at the sight in the corner of Dave's office. "You have a PlayStation 3 in your office?"

Dave shrugged as he handed her a controller.

* * *

><p>Spence smiled as he walked down the street from the metro stop to his apartment with the keyboard under his arm. He was going to stop quickly and drop it off, so that it could be a surprise for this weekend. He couldn't wait to share his rediscovered love of music with Henry and JJ.<p>

* * *

><p>JJ smiled, rested her hand on Henry's shoulder, and leaned against the doorway as she watched Spence climb out of his car in the driveway. Once Spence was at the stairs, she let go off Henry's shoulder and he lunged forward to greet his godfather. Spence laughed and scooped Henry up, lifting him high up in the air and causing the boy to laugh. Then Spence lowered Henry and settled him on his hip as he kissed JJ hello. Then they went inside to get out of the chilly evening air.<p>

* * *

><p>Emily silently approached the table with two cups of coffee in hand. She sat the first on the table with a metallic clink and then settled herself in the opposite seat to wait. She slid her purse strap off her shoulder and got comfortable. Emily knew Doyle was watching and that it would just be a matter of time until he made contact.<p>

Emily's fingers were idly spinning her now cold cup of coffee when she felt a hand on her back. She controlled her response to avoid going ramrod straight at the all too familiar feel of Ian Doyle's hand on her back.

"I knew you were watching me." Emily said as she continued to look straight ahead.

"What's the expression? Keep your friends close, your enemies under surveillance." Doyle said as he allowed his hand to slide off of Emily's back in what from a distance could have been mistaken for the caring caress of a lover and walked to the opposite side of the table.

"I've been here for two hours. You should know better than to keep a lady waiting." Emily said as she watched Doyle move.

"Seems hypocritical, seeing as I had to wait seven years." Ian replied turning to look at Emily's face, the face of the woman he had once loved and wanted to raise his son.

Emily lifted her head to look at the man that she had cared enough about to try and save him, to get him out of his life as a terrorist, arms dealer, and mercenary before it destroyed his ability to have any sort of life with his son. She watched as he took the seat across from her and then after a few moments of silence, spoke. **"**Hello, Ian."

"Hello, Lauren. Oh wait, Lauren Reynolds died in a car accident, didn't she?" he asked sarcastically, reminding himself that the woman in front of him was not the woman that he'd loved, that he asked to raise his son, that he'd wanted to have a family with.

"What do you want?" Emily asked.

"You." Ian paused dramatically, as he thought about how he had wanted her… and how she had betrayed him in the worst possible way. "Oh, not today, don't worry about that. But soon." Ian said nodding his head.

"I've got a Glock leveled at your crotch. What's to stop me from taking you and the little ones out, right now?" Emily asked pointedly as she nodded at him.

"You'd never make it back to your car, and you know it." Ian said with a smirk as he looked at the woman that had plagued his thoughts for the last seven years until her destruction became his obsession and the only thing that had gotten him through the questioning and torture at the hands of his North Korean captors.

Emily rolled her eyes and glanced away. Of course Ian had people watching this meeting in order to make sure he walked away. Really, she had expected nothing less.

"Tell me, does the lovely Penelope know the truth about you? Or is she too busy watching movies with Derek to care?" Ian asked as he lounged back in his seat across from Emily.

That captured Emily's attention. Doyle being familiar with anyone from the team was not something that she had been expecting.

"Here you are, all alone, while Aaron sits at home with his son. And why didn't Dave and Ashley invite you to their game night? Maybe they thought you'd be on the Metro with Dr. Reid."

The level of Emily's horror intensified as he listed off what each of her teammates was doing tonight and how they frequently spent their free time. Any sense of control she thought she'd had in this situation quickly slipped away at the realization that not only was Doyle watching her, but he was watching the team.

Doyle chuckled, "Well, that one does have some quirks. How he managed to land a beautiful woman like the blonde beauty Jennifer Jareau, I really don't understand… although I have to say her son Henry is quite a beautiful boy."

"Come near my team, and I will end you." Emily replied, her voice laced with ice and determination.

"I don't have a quarrel with them. How long that remains the case, depends entirely on you. They're innocent, you're not."

"I was doing my job."

"I think you did a little more than that. You took the only thing that mattered to me, so I'm going to take the only thing that matters to you: your life." Doyle said and then leaned forward and placed a matchbook with a four leaf clover on the table between them.

"Honore de Balzac once said, 'Most people of action are inclined to fatalism and most of thought believe in providence.'" Doyle said and then stood up from his seat at the table. "Tell me, Emily Prentiss, which do you think you are gonna be?" Then he turned and slipped into the darkness of the night.

Emily's eyes followed Doyle as he slinked off into the darkness and anonymity of the DC winter night. Then she sat staring ahead trying to figure out how she was going protect the team and manage to come out of this unscathed.

* * *

><p>Penelope smiled as she walked into her living room to get Henry and Kevin for dinner. Kevin had enthusiastically volunteered to play with Henry while she made dinner. Now, looking at the state of her living room, she could see why.<p>

In the midst of her living room, Henry and Kevin had built a fort using blankets, a couple of chairs, cushions from the couch, and various other odds and ends. Kevin grinned at Penelope as he placed the finishing touches on their fort.

"Dinner's ready." Penelope said with a grin on her face as she leaned down and peeked into the fort to see Henry. "Are you hungry?"

"Uh huh" Henry replied with big nod as he crawled out of the fort.

"Oh good because I made you mac n' cheese." Penelope said as she crouched down in front of Henry as he stood up.

"I wike mac n' cheese" Henry said his eyes getting big.

"Well then my little cherub, we should go eat it before it gets cold." Penelope said as she stood up and held her hand out to her godson.

"Mm… mac n' cheese" Kevin said as he followed Penelope and Henry into the kitchen.

"Just promise me that I won't have to watch you eat it with ketchup on it like last time." Penelope replied as she glanced over her shoulder at her boyfriend, shuddering ever so slightly as she thought of some of the more strange food combinations she'd seen him eat in the just over three years they'd been together as a couple. She wasn't sure what was the most disgusting, mac n' cheese with ketchup, donut dogs, or bacon donuts, to be honest the thought of anyone of them made her stomach heave equally.

"Aw… but it's good like that. I bet Henry likes ketchup on everything, don't you Henry?" Kevin asked as he bent down and scooped Henry up and sat him in his booster seat at the table.

"Uh huh" Henry nodded.

"See. Ketchup. Good on everything." Kevin said with a grin as he looked at Penelope.

Penelope raised an eyebrow at her boyfriend. "He's two. Your thirty two…" Penelope trailed off in exasperation for Kevin's eating habits.

"Ah, but I'm young at heart plum sauce." Kevin replied as he helped Penelope with serving dinner.

Penelope shook her head as she wondered how JJ and Reid were spending their night sans JJ's male mini-me.

* * *

><p>JJ smiled as she packed the last of the food along with the wine, wine glasses, and a few bottles of water into the picnic basket as she glanced down at her watch. She managed to sneak out a bit early from the Pentagon since it was Friday. Penelope had picked up Henry a while ago. Everything was ready for her night in with Spence and she had just enough time to shower and get ready before Spence got there.<p>

* * *

><p>Spence set the keyboard he'd purchased last night when the team returned from the case off to the side as he took off his coat and hung it up. He excited to see what Henry's reaction to playing music would be. Then he turned and took in the state of the house. There was a fire in the fireplace, but other than that, the entire downstairs was dark. "JJ?" Spence called out in confusion.<p>

"I'm upstairs baby" JJ called out as she finished getting ready.

Spence turned and headed up the stairs, climbing them two at a time to get the top as quickly as possible. "Hi" he said as he met JJ in the doorway of the bedroom and leaning down to kiss her hello.

"Hi" JJ replied as pulled back from Spence's soft lips and his hello kiss. "I laid some fresh pjs out for you on the bed. Why don't you take a shower and change and then meet me downstairs?" she suggested trailing her hand down Spence's torso and around his waist. Then she leaned up and kissed him again before slipping past him and out of the room to head downstairs.

JJ fidgeted with and adjusted everything as she waited for Spence to finish showering and changing. She'd added another log to the fire. The picnic basket she'd packed now sat in middle of the blanket that was spread out over the floor just in front of the hearth of the fireplace. Pillows were piled on one end of the blanket, creating a haven for her and Spence to snuggle in front of the fire for their quiet night in while they enjoyed an indoor picnic in front of the fireplace.

"JJ, where's Henry?" Spence asked as he came around the corner from the stairs and into the living room.

JJ stood up to meet Spence where he was paused looking at the fireplace, and took his hand leading him back to the romantic oasis that she'd created in front of the fireplace. "Penelope felt bad that we didn't have a chance to celebrate our first Valentine's Day together as a couple, so Henry is spending the night at Aunt Penelope's." she said as she tugged Spence down onto the blanket in front of the fireplace with her.

"Oh…" Spence replied.

JJ nodded. "Penelope offered to get us reservations so that we could go out for dinner and dancing, but I thought with your headaches, that you would prefer a quiet night in instead."

"JJ, this is perfect" Spence said as he glanced at the fire, the piled pillows, and he and JJ in comfortable lounge clothes. "I'm sorry I didn't think for us to do something…"

"Baby, it's okay. Things were a little awkward with Will here for the last couple weeks and you guys had a case. It's fine that we're celebrating tonight instead."

Spence nodded. "So what's in the picnic basket?" he asked curiously.

JJ smiled as she pulled the picnic basket close and opened the lid revealing containers of holding a wide assortment of finger foods, a bottle of wine, two wine glasses, a cork screw, and of course desert and a few bottles of water.

Reid smiled as he noticed that JJ had picked many of his favorites and leaned over and kissed her.

JJ smiled into the kiss, as she rested her hand on Spence's hip. "Mm…" She moaned as Spence deepened the kiss the picnic all but forgotten for the moment as Spence pulled her down into the pile of pillows with him and they continued to make out in front of the fireplace.


	9. Chapter 9

Hey everybody - so sorry that it took almost 2 weeks to get these put together - but here they are now. I hope you enjoy chapter 9. I'm off to work on chapter 10 and that should be ready by tomorrow. Nothing like a double update weekend :D

Thanks to my beta DetectiveNikkiBenson040709. Having you to bounce ideas off of is more helpful than you could possibly imagine. Thanks for keeping me on task and focused :D

Thanks for all the reviews, favoriting, and alerts. You're all awesome. I'm glad your all enjoying the story. :D

I don't own Criminal Minds... but you all already knew that... and I know that you didn't click on that nifty little link that brought you here to hear me yammer on and on about all this stuff... so without further adieu...

Happy reading and enjoy :D

* * *

><p>"Spence" JJ moaned as her boyfriend kissed a path up and down her neck. They'd finished their indoor picnic a while ago and were now cuddled up in front of the fire. JJ was seated in between Spence's legs and leaning back against his chest, while he had his arms wrapped around her while they luxuriated in the heat of the fire.<p>

"Hmm?" Spence murmured in response as his nose brushed against the shell of JJ's ear causing a shiver to run down her spine.

"I love you." JJ whispered as she twisted in Spence's arms. She threw her legs over one of his thighs as she shifted to sit sideways. She reached up her hand and dragged her fingers through his hair, her nails scratching lightly against his scalp.

Spence moaned softly as his head pressed into JJ's exquisite and comforting touch. Between the hand that was playing with his hair and scratching his scalp and her other hand that was playing with his fingers where they rested on her thigh… he was in heaven… assuming based on his experience in Hankel's shed all those years ago that such a place existed.

"You like that baby?" JJ asked softly as she felt the fingers of Spence's hand that was on her thigh flex.

Spence nodded and turned his head, kissing the palm of her hand as his eyes slid shut in pleasure at the overwhelming feeling of love coursing through him. "I love you too JJ" Spence all but moaned as he pulled JJ closer, his hand sliding up her thigh, to her hip. His fingertips lightly grazed the skin of her lower back and they slipped underneath the lower edge of her soft cotton t-shirt.

JJ watched Spence's gorgeous brown eyes as they opened. His eyes flicked back and forth between her eyes and her lips. Her breath caught in her throat as Spence's tongue flicked out and he licked his lower lip. Before she had a chance to breathe again, his lips were on hers.

It was Spence's turn to moan as he tasted the hint of red wine on JJ's lips, a remnant of their picnic earlier as his lips covered hers.

JJ breathed deeply through her nose as she lifted her arm and wrapped it tightly around Spence's shoulders as the kiss deepened.

The logs in the fireplace crackled and hissed in the background creating the perfect ambiance for JJ and Spence to continue celebrating their belated Valentine's Day.

* * *

><p>Emily splashed water on her face as she looked at her reflection in the hotel room mirror. The last few weeks had been hell. She wasn't sure what game Doyle was playing, but she knew she wanted it to be over, with everyone that she cared about most safe. She'd taken to staying in a variety of hotels all over the DC area ever since she'd received the flower from Doyle. She changed hotels on a random schedule and randomly picked the hotels. She dropped Sergio off with Brianna when they had cases, not wanting her friend to have to go to her condo.<p>

She was exhausted, she noted as she continued to look in the mirror while she dried her face. Falling asleep on the train tonight while she waited for Clyde and Tsia on the Metro had proven that. She shook her head and turned and walked out of the bathroom, scooping up Sergio as she walked down the short hallway to the bedroom.

"Hey buddy, how are you?" she asked as Sergio propped himself up against her chest. At Sergio's answering meow, she nodded her head. "I know Serge, I miss home too. Hopefully this will all be over soon. Then we'll go home and crawl in bed and sleep for a week. That's sounds good doesn't it?" She asked Sergio as she sat on the bed and Sergio curled up on her lap. She scratched him behind his ears and he purred, silently forgiving his owner for the constant change that had been their life for the last few weeks.

* * *

><p>JJ smiled softly at the peaceful expression on Spence's face. His head lay in her lap and she alternated between running her fingers though his hair, rubbing his temples, and running her fingers across his forehead.<p>

Spence sighed contentedly as JJ's fingers continued to trail lightly over his skin. He opened his eyes, noting that the fire was dying down. He sat up, leaning forward to put another log on the fire. He used the fire poker to stir the embers in the previous log. The stirring increased the oxygen flow and caused the embers to glow red hot and flames to shoot up around the newly added log as it caught fire and burned.

He turned from the fireplace completely prepared to curl up with JJ and cuddle again, but his breath caught in his throat. The fire cast a glow across JJ's skin. Her blonde hair shimmered as if it was on fire, and her blue eyes sparked as the flames refracted off her brilliant blue irises. He glanced about taking note of JJ's position in the middle of the living room floor, the positioning of the furniture, the lay of the pile of pillows, and then after determining that it was completely safe, he orchestrated a move that was sure to surprise JJ.

JJ gasped as Spence grabbed her legs behind the knees and pulled her towards him. The she squealed as she lost her balance and fell backwards onto the pile of pillows. Then Spence was above her. "Hi" she murmured softly as he lowered himself above her, hovering just out of her reach.

"Hi" Spence replied as he braced his elbows on either side of JJ's face. He gently brushed a stray hair out of her face.

JJ bit her lip as she studied the light and shadows casting themselves across Spence's face. "So… you realize that we have to stay up a while since you just put another log on the fire?" she asked in amusement as she watched Spence's face.

Spence nodded in reply as he traced his hand down JJ's arm and played with her fingers. He tangled and untangled their fingers. He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her fingers. Then he turned her hand and kissed the inside of her wrist. He kissed his way up her arm, lingering at the inside of her elbow before he moved up her bicep to her shoulder and across her clavicle.

"Spence, baby…" JJ moaned.

"Shh…" Spence murmured as he kissed his way up her neck. He lifted her arm above her head and then trailed his fingers down the length of her arm, his finger nails scraping lightly across her delicate skin. He moved his fingers ever so slowly. They reached her shoulder and moved to her torso. The backs of his fingers skimmed along the peak of her breast, along the edge of her abdomen, and then to her hip. At her hip, Spence shifted the angle of his hand so that his hand cupped the edge of her hip. Then his palm moved down, cupping the back of her thigh until he reached her knee. He wrapped her thigh around his hip as his fingers massaged her thigh.

He reached for her other arm, repeating the process; he again kissed her fingers, the inside of the wrist, and kissed his way up her arm.

JJ about melted into a puddle of pure heat and need as Spence trailed his hand down her body while his other hand held her arms above her head, not that she was about to move them. She wanted to see what her genius had planned.

Spence's eyes never wavered from JJ's as he trailed his hand down her body inch by agonizing inch until he wrapped her other thigh around his waist. His hand went back to hers, above their heads, as he entwined his fingers with hers. Then he lowered his head and kissed her as he ground his pelvis against hers.

JJ's hips bucked eagerly against Spence's as her back arched off the pillows and blankets that made up their nest in front of the fireplace. "God, baby, please…" she panted as Spence kissed his way down one side of her neck and then up the other.

Spence relented, releasing his hold on her hands above their heads as he moved his hands to her hips. He stroked his fingers across soft skin of her back and belly that was currently hidden by her t-shirt as he lips danced along the curve of her neck.

JJ's hands slid eagerly across Spence's shoulders that were taught from holding his weight above her. Her fingers traced the lean lines of his biceps and forearms to where his hands were splayed on her waist. She lifted her hands to his chest and ran her hands down the soft cotton covered planes of his chest, then along the sides of his ribcage. Her fingers grasped handfuls of his t-shirt when they reached his waist. She proceeded to drag his shirt back up his torso and over his head as he lifted his head momentarily from her neck.

Spence smiled down at JJ as he shook first one arm and then the other free of his t-shirt. Then he returned the favor and began to drag his girlfriend's t-shirt up her torso. His lips followed in the wake of freshly revealed skin, kissing his way up her abdomen as her t-shirt rose up her torso.

JJ raised her arms above her head, in anticipation of Spence removing her t-shirt.

* * *

><p>Spence kissed the center of JJ's chest directly between her breasts and then again directly over her heart. Then he pulled her t-shirt off over her head, lowering his head to kiss her once her arms were free of obstruction.<p>

JJ hummed as she kissed way across Spence's shoulder and up his neck. She nibbled on his earlobe and then blew softly on the wet flesh, feeling Spence shudder in pleasure against her. She skimmed her hands down his sides to the waist of his pajama pants and pushed them off his hips and down his thighs as far as she could reach.

* * *

><p>Spence gasped into JJ's neck as he bucked into her hand. Then he rose to his knees, or at least as much as he could with JJ's hand still wrapped around him. He simultaneously lifted JJ's hips and pulled her pajama pants and panties down her slim, tone thighs. He pushed them over her bent knees and off her feet and tossed them off to the side into the darkness of the room that had previously consumed their t-shirts.<p>

* * *

><p>He paused in wonder for a moment as he pressed soft open mouthed kisses to the skin of her belly, the belly that had been home to Henry not quite three years ago. He wondered if she'd want more children someday. His children. Sure, he'd always been terrified that he'd be consumed by the disease that held his mother's brilliant mind captive, that if he ever had children they too would be disparaged by the plight of their ancestors. That however didn't mean he hadn't fantasized about a family with JJ. Now, it wasn't so much a fantasy as a possibility, but that was something for them to discuss later, as his mind returned to the moment at hand.<p>

* * *

><p>"Hmm… you are amazing baby." JJ purred as she wrapped her arms around Spence when he finally reached where she lay on the pillows. She leaned up and kissed him, smiling into the kiss as she felt his erection press into her thigh.<p>

She hooked one leg around Spence's leg and wrapped one arm around his neck. Then she used the distraction of their kiss to sweep her other leg and arm across Spence's body. Using the leverage she created, she was suddenly on top of Spence.

Spence blinked as he looked up at JJ perched above him on his abdomen. She looked like a blonde goddess, a Valkyrie prepared to fly into battle as she smirked down at him. He rested his palms on her thighs and softly rubbed his palms up and down her thighs as he look up at the ravishing sight his girlfriend made as the firelight cast a glow across her skin and set her hair ablaze in a fiery blonde halo.

* * *

><p>JJ lifted their entwined fingers and kissed the back of Spence's wrist, her tongue laving gently over the pulse point. She looked him in the eye as she kissed the tips of each of his fingers, her lips and tongue lingering on the pad of each digit, before releasing his hand.<p>

* * *

><p>Spence brushed his girlfriend's long golden locks back from her shoulder as he kissed his way along her collar bone and up her neck. He nipped playfully at her chin just before he crushed his lips against hers.<p>

* * *

><p>JJ leaned forward and kissed Spence's neck, just above his bobbing Adam's apple as he gasped for breath.<p>

Spence lifted his head to look at JJ and he rested his forehead against hers as he worked to catch his breath while his pulse slowed as circulation and blood flow resumed to normal throughout his body. "I love you JJ." He whispered as he ran his hands up and down her back, holding her close as their bodies cooled from their exertions.

"I know you do baby." JJ crooned as she brushed Spence's sweaty bangs off of his forehead. "I love you too."

* * *

><p>"Aun' 'lelope" Henry said as he shook his Aunt Penelope's shoulder where she lay next to him.<p>

Kevin had suggested that it would be fun for them all to camp out and sleep in the fort that he and Henry had built the night before. So they'd stretched out blankets, quilts, and pillows on the floor of the fort and then fallen asleep watching Disney movies with Henry the night before. But it was morning now, and the young boy was awake.

"Hmm?" Garcia moaned in her sleep, her sleep mask blocking out the light of day from her eyes.

"Aun' 'lelope, I hunry an gotsa go potty" Henry whispered as he attempted to wake Aunt Penelope.

Kevin blinked as he woke up at the unfamiliar sound of a toddler's voice. His hair stuck up in odd angles all over his head as he sat up and rubbed his eyes. Then he snorted in amusement as he glanced over at Henry trying to wake up Penelope. "Hey sport, how are ya this morning?" Kevin asked as he turned to look at Henry.

"I hasa go potty" Henry whimpered.

"Okay," Kevin replied as Henry continued to look at him and then it dawned on him. "Do you, uh, need help?"

"Uh huh" Henry nodded. "Aun' 'lelope don' gots no steppy stool"

"Okay, well" Kevin paused as he yawned as he threw back the blankets. "Let's go potty and then um… I bet you're hungry huh?"

"Uh huh" Henry nodded as ran off to the bathroom followed by Kevin.

A few minutes later Henry sat in his booster seat at the table while Kevin perused the breakfast options available in Penelope's cupboards. "Hmm… what do you say we wake up Aunt Penelope and go out for breakfast?" Kevin asked as he turned to look at Henry.

Henry tipped his head in contemplation. "We get boobewwy pancakes?"

Kevin chuckled. "Sure, we can get blueberry pancakes, if that's what you want. But first we have to wake up Aunt Penelope." Penelope was a light sleeper when her team was in the midst of a case, but when they weren't, she could sleep like the dead. "Let's go wake up Aunt Penelope and then we'll get dressed so we can go for pancakes."

* * *

><p>"Mmm… morning baby" JJ murmured softly as she felt Spence kissing her shoulder as he lay spooning her where they'd fallen asleep last night wrapped up in a cocoon of pillows and blankets in front of the fireplace. The fire had burned itself down to glowing embers while they slept.<p>

"Morning beautiful" Spence replied, rising up on one elbow above JJ, which allowed her to turn to face him.

JJ smiled as she leaned forward and kissed him, and then they were interrupted by someone knocking on the door. "Mm" JJ moaned as she stretched to reach over Spence for their clothes.

"What time is it?" Spence asked as he pulled his t-shirt on over his head and then slipped his feet into his pajama pants and stood, pulling them up around his waist before turning and offering a hand to JJ to help her up off of the floor.

"I don't know, but it's light outside." JJ said and then yawned as they walked towards the door. She ran her fingers through her hair as she peeked through the peep hole. "It Pen and Kevin. They must be dropping off Henry." She said as she turned to look at Spence as she opened the door.

"Mama!" Henry cheered from where he stood holding his Aunt Penelope's hand.

"Henry!" JJ replied cheerfully as she bent down and picked up Henry and then moved back allowing Penelope and Kevin to enter and closed the door.

Spence smiled as he watched JJ and Henry together.

"You miss me?" Henry asked as Mommy took off his hat and mittens and then worked to unzip his coat.

"I did miss you. Did you miss me?" JJ asked playfully.

"Uh huh." Henry nodded.

JJ nodded and smiled at Penelope over the top of Henry's head. "Did you have fun with Aunt Penelope and Uncle Kevin?"

Henry nodded vigorously. "Unca Kevie hewp me buiwd a fowt."

"He did?" JJ asked.

"Uh huh. An Aun' lelope maked mac 'n cheese... an we sweeped in da fowt… an we gotsa go for boobewwy pancakes." Henry jabbered happily as he told Mommy all about his adventures with Aunt Penelope and Uncle Kevin.

"It sounds like you had lots of fun." Spence said with a smile.

"Unca 'pence!" Henry squealed in delight and reached out for his favorite Uncle.

"Hey buddy." Spence replied, catching Henry as he virtually leapt from JJ's arms to his.

Penelope's cell phone rang in her purse and her brow wrinkled in displeasure as she took in the phone number on the caller ID of her bedazzled phone. "Good morning sir."

JJ glanced at Penelope and then at Spence. "Spence, you should go take a shower. I have a feeling you're going to be going to work." JJ said with a sigh. Hotch always made a point not to call on weekend's unless it was for a case. He wanted to the team to be able to always have as much downtime as they possibly could since they never knew when their next case might land on their desks.

Spence nodded. "Hey buddy, hopefully I'll get to hear all about your day later, but right now I have to go to work."

"You catch da baddies?" Henry asked as he looked up at Uncle Spence through his bangs.

"Yeah, Henry, Aunt Penelope and I have to go help catch the bad guys." Spence replied with a smile. "but you are lucky little man. You get to stay home with Mommy because it's Saturday." He said as he tapped Henry lightly on the nose and then handed him back to Mommy.

"Yay!" Henry cheered and threw his hands up in the air as Uncle Spence passed him to Mommy.

JJ smiled as she took Henry from Spence and kissed her boyfriend softly before he turned and headed up the stairs to take a quick shower before he had to head into the BAU.

"I'm sorry Jayje… we've..." Penelope said as she hung up from talking to Hotch.

"Got a case." JJ finished for her. "Don't worry Pen. I understand. By the way thanks for watching Henry last night."

"Yeah? So you and the good doctor managed to celebrate Valentine's last night, even if it was almost three weeks late and totally not how I would have celebrated?" Pen asked with a grin on her face as she looked at JJ.

JJ smiled and shook her head. "Yes we had a great night. Thanks Pen, seriously, I know Henry loves spending time with you."

"Awe, well I loved spending time with my little cutie… but now I have to get going." Penelope said as she glanced at Kevin who stood next to her with his hands stuffed in his pockets as he rocked on his heels.

"Henry, baby, Aunt Penelope has to go. Can you tell her and Uncle Kevin thank you for all the fun you had last night and this morning?" JJ asked.

Henry's head bobbed in response. "Tank ou Aun' 'lelope" he said reaching his tiny arms out to give her a goodbye hug. He kissed her on the cheek before pulling away. Then he waved at Kevin. "Bye Unca Kevie."

Kevin smiled. "Bye big guy. See ya later alligator."

"Affers while cocodile" Henry chirped in response and then giggled.

JJ eyebrows raised on her forehead as she looked back and forth between Penelope and Kevin waiting for an explanation.

Kevin shuffled his feet. "I, uh, taught that to Henry last night."

JJ grinned and shook her head. "It's okay. I was just surprised." She explained.

"See you later Jayje. Tell Reid that I'll let Hotch know he's on his way." Pen said as she followed Kevin out the door.

JJ nodded. "Thanks again Pen." Then she and Henry waved until Penelope had Esther backed out of the driveway and they were headed down the street.

* * *

><p>"Two DCs homes torched; two families on the same night. Last night." Garcia explained as she pulled up the photos on the monitor of the case that had brought them all into the BAU on a Saturday.<p>

"I'm surprised it still hasn't hit the news." Morgan said as he looked up from the case file. "It's already mid-day."

"Yeah, well all anyone's talking about is this storm that may or may not hit." Penelope said as she gestured toward the sky with the remote. "I managed to find an online article about the fires written by this guy Jeff Hastings, but no one's running with it."

"How strange." Rossi said, puzzled. "They usually thrive on tragedy."

"Yeah, and it gets weirder." Penelope said as she pulled up the photos of the victims.

"Ron and Lauren Cosenza and their 10 year old son were found in the master bedroom of their home, each shot through the forehead." Hotch explained as he looked up at the monitor. "The gun belonged to the father."

"Murder suicide?" Ashley asked as she mentally reviewed what she learned at the Academy and worked to put the pieces together.

"Well it looks like Metro PD investigation is going that way, but it's still the first 48, they want our help." Morgan explained as he looked at Ashley.

"Kerry and Frank Fagan, like the Cosenzas were found in their master bedroom, from a suspected gas leak." Reid said while Garcia pulled the Fagans photos up on the screen.

"It had to be massive to cause that." Rossi said as he looked down at the photo of what remained of the Fagan's home after the fire. "How does the news miss a house explosion?"

"Any connection between the families?" Ashley asked.

"Only one, a continent." Garcia replied. "Kerry Fagan was born in Germany, Ron Cosenza is from Italy."

"So two of the five victims are from Europe, how does that help?" Morgan asked as he looked at Garcia.

"It doesn't" Garcia replied with a shrug. "I'm just stating the facts and the facts happen to be…"

"Guys, I'm sorry I'm late." Emily said as she entered the room as she lifted the bag that she now taken to carrying everywhere with her from across her shoulders and slung the strap across the back of the chair.

"You okay?" Hotch asked as he glanced up at Emily.

"Yeah, it's just one of those weeks I guess." She said as she took her seat. "I'm sorry, what did I miss? Arsonist?" she asked as she glanced at the monitor.

"Well one appears to be murder suicide and the other a freak accident." Morgan replied as he turned to look at Emily.

"So, why are we looking at it?" Emily asked.

"House fires are rare" Rossi said with a shake of his head. "Add to that a few miles apart, within the same hour, kind of tips the scales of coincidence."

"Yeah, if somebody did this, they're highly motivated and organized." Reid added as he leaned back in his seat.

"And if he wants to strike again, he's got 72 hours before the storm shuts the city down." Hotch said as he stood up and led the team out of the round table room. They were on a time table if they wanted to catch the unsub before the storm made it virtually impossible to get anything done.

* * *

><p>"Everything okay?" Rossi asked as he and Emily sat in the SUV on the way over to the Cosenzas' home to investigate the crime scene. "You haven't been yourself lately."<p>

"Rossi" Emily replied as she turned to look at him.

"Hey, if you don't want to talk about it, I understand. I'm just letting you know that if you do want to talk about, I'm here to listen." Rossi asked as he glanced from the road to Emily and back again.

Emily took a deep breath as much as she wanted to tell the team what was going on right now, she couldn't put them at risk. This was her problem to deal with and she'd find a way to fix it.

* * *

><p>"Baby girl, I need you to dig and see what else you can find that connects the families together." Morgan said as he and Hotch left the ME. "The Cosenzas were dead when the fire started, so someone was definitely trying to cover their murder up." He said into his phone as he glanced over at Hotch.<p>

"So, what do we have so far?" Hotch asked as he pulled out into traffic.

"Well, our unsub is definitely organized and methodical." Morgan replied. "He managed to orchestrate it to look like the Cosenza family's death was a murder suicide and make the Fagan's look like a freak accident. If it weren't for the fires, DC Metro might not have called us in, at least not on both cases."

"He was also able to exert power and control over each family. Everything was planned out in detail in advance." Hotch added as he and Morgan continued to discuss the case.

* * *

><p>Emily dropped her bag on her desk, causing Reid to startle at the noise and he turned to look at her.<p>

"I'm sorry" Emily apologized.

"I thought you were in there." Reid said with a nod of his head towards the break room before he turned back to look at the papers on his desk.

"Are you okay?" Emily asked in concern.

"Yeah, I'm fi… I… I'm sure these victims overlap somehow. Garcia pulled their phone numbers, but so far I can't find anything." Reid explained.

"You just jumped." Emily said as she picked at her fingernails.

Reid swallowed as he glanced down at the phone records he was looking at. He'd hoped to hold off on telling the team until he had answers, but now was as good of a time as any. He licked his lips and turned to look at Emily. "I've been having these really intense headaches lately." He explained.

"Have you seen a doctor?" Emily asked as her eyebrows furrowed in concern.

"Yeah, a few. None of them have been able to figure it out." He said as he shifted in his seat.

"Oh, … I'm sorry." Emily said, not knowing how to respond.

"Does anyone know?" Emily asked as she glanced up at the mezzanine where she could see the rest of the team in the round table room.

"JJ…and you" Reid replied softly as he looked back up at Emily.

Emily stood in shock for a moment as at she gazed back at Reid. "I won't tell anyone." She said with a shake of her head.

"I know." Reid replied. "They just worry, you know? Not that you're not gonna worry, but they'll just make me feel like a baby." Reid said with a sigh and then sniffled.

"I do." Emily said sadly as she looked at the man she'd come to view as a little brother.

"How about you?" Reid asked as he continued to look over the phone records.

"I'm good." Emily quickly responded as she looked away from Reid to avoid eye contact.

"You've, uh, been picking your fingernails again." Reid said as he looked at Emily's hands.

Emily exasperatedly looked to the other side of the bullpen as she allowed her hands to fall against her legs. "Yeah" Then she lifted her hands to examine her nails.

"You only do that when you're stressed." Reid pointed out.

"It's just a bad habit." Emily replied.

Reid looked back to the phone records. "Ah ha" he said as he found what he'd been looking for. "You comin'?" he asked as he stood up from his chair to head to the round table room and turned to look at Emily.

"Yeah, I'll be there in a minute." Emily replied and then watched as Reid headed up the stairs to the catwalk. Once she was alone in the bullpen, she opened her desk drawer and contemplated pulling out the information that she'd stashed there and sharing it with the team. After a few seconds of contemplation, she closed the desk drawer, not wanting to draw the team into whatever was happening.

* * *

><p>Hotch looked down at the files as Morgan stood up and left the round table room to get Prentiss from bullpen so that they could go talk to Byron Delaney. "Garcia dig through Delaney's past and see how he's connected to the Fagans and the Cosenzas." He said as he looked at Garcia. Then he turned to look at Reid and Ashley. "Let's look through everything again and see if there's something that we missed, anything that doesn't make sense."<p>

Reid and Ashley nodded as they poured over the files once more, looking for anything that was out of place, anything that could provide them with a clue as to who their unsub was.

* * *

><p>Hotch hung up his phone and walked briskly down the catwalk to Dave's office and knocked on the door frame.<p>

"Hotch, what's up?" Dave asked as he looked up from the files on the Fagans, the Cosenzas, and what Garcia had been able to gather so far on Byron Delaney.

"Morgan just called me. He and Prentiss were just in a shootout with a heavily armed group at Byron Delaney's house." Hotch said.

"What the hell did these people do to piss this group off?" Dave asked as he stood up from behind his desk and joined Hotch as they headed out of the BAU.

* * *

><p>Hotch led Rossi, Morgan, and Prentiss back into the round table room where Reid, Seaver, and Garcia were still hard at work looking for anything that could break the case for them. He looked at the clock on the wall and then he looked around at his weary agents. "We've been at this for over twelve hours now. Let's call it a night and pick this up in the morning." Hotch said as he glanced around the room at the weary team. He'd have to make sure the team had a couple days off after this case was wrapped up. It looked like once again they'd be sacrificing their whole weekend in the name of truth and justice. "Garcia," he said as he turned to look at her "were you able to track down Jeff Hastings?"<p>

"Absolutely, my liege, and with your permission, I will conveniently 'bump' into him at his favorite coffee shop tomorrow morning." Garcia said using finger quotes as she said bump.

Hotch nodded. "We need to know who told him to pull the story. It's definitely connected to whatever is going on."

Garcia nodded as she shut down her laptop.

"Baby girl, want me to carry any of your stuff for you?" Morgan asked as he nodded at the files, and other items that had accumulated in Garcia's vicinity at the round table throughout the day.

"Be still my heart oh hot and hunky one." Garcia teased as she fluttered her eyelashes and held her hand to her chest.

Morgan just grinned and shook his head as he picked up her stack of files and followed behind Garcia to her lair.

"Are you okay?" Ashley asked as she looked at Emily who was staring off into space with a dazed expression.

"Hmm?... oh, yeah… just tired." Emily replied as she glanced at Ashley.

"Yeah, me too. I can't wait to get back to my apartment and crash." Ashley said as she gathered her files and headed for the doors of the round table room.

* * *

><p>Spence fumbled in the dark bedroom for his pajamas as he unbuttoned his sweater vest.<p>

JJ blinked as her eyes opened in the dark room, unsure at first what had woken her. Then she recognized the sounds of Spence fumbling in the dark, even though he was being quiet and trying not to wake her. She reached over and turned on the bedside lamp.

"Hey," Spence said as he turned to look at her apologetically over his shoulder as he slid his arms out of his sweater vest. "I'm sorry. I was trying not to wake you up."

"S'okey" JJ yawned as she pulled herself up to sit against the headboard. "Did you guys wrap up the case?"

"No" Spence shook his head as he loosened and removed his tie. "We got as far as we could for tonight. We're going to pick it up again in the morning."

JJ nodded and watched her boyfriend undress and change into his pajamas through hooded sleepy eyes. She closed her eyes as he walked into the bathroom. She heard water run briefly and she assumed he was brushing his teeth. Then she heard the soft foot falls of his bare feet on the carpet and felt the other side of the bed sink down under his weight when he climbed into bed.

"JJ" Spence whispered, his breath brushing past her cheek.

"Hmm?" JJ murmured sleepily as she turned her face and buried it in the warmth of Spence's neck.

Spence leaned down and kissed his girlfriend on the temple. "Turn off the light and let's go to sleep." He chuckled as JJ shook her head and sighed. burying her face deeper into his neck. Then he leaned across JJ and turned off the lamp.

"Not tonight baby… too tired" JJ murmured in her sleep causing Spence to grin as he slid them down into the bed and laid JJ down on the pillows before he curled up next to her. He inhaled deeply, enjoying the combined scent of vanilla and lavender that he always associated with JJ as he wrapped his arm around JJ and pulled her close, burying his face in the pillow next to her as he sought out sleep.

* * *

><p>Ian Doyle stood outside the church, waiting until services were over before he entered. As he exited the long arched hallway, he paused for a moment watching the boys' choir, boys who were the same age Declan would have been. Then he gathered his strength and walked down the aisle and stepped off to the side and knelt in front of the vigil candles as he pulled a wood lighting stick from the stand. He lifted the tip of the stick into the flame of an already lit candle allowing it catch fire. "Happy birthday my love." He said solemnly as he transferred the flame to an unlit votive candle just in front of the cross. Then he blew out the flame on the lighting stick, crossed himself, and rose from his knees prepared to carry out the retribution for all he had held dear being stolen from him.<p>

* * *

><p>"The more players we get on this board, the sooner Erin will get her nose in it." Rossi said as he stood with his thumbs hooked in his back pockets while he and Hotch stood looking at their evidence board.<p>

"Strauss already knows." Hotch replied.

"I'm surprised she wasn't in the SCIF" Rossi said with a lift of his eyebrows.

"She's on vacation." Hotch replied solemnly.

"Oh… great. Now she'll never take another one." Rossi said. Then he nodded towards Doyle's picture on the evidence board. "Is everything about this guy classified?"

"Somebody knows him." Hotch replied with a piercing gaze. "We just haven't found them yet."

* * *

><p>Emily's eyes teared up as she took one last lingering look at each member of the team, the group of people who along with JJ, she had allowed to become her family over the last four years and change. She swallowed thickly as she convinced herself that she was doing what was right for them… and she could only hope that she was able to eliminate Doyle as a threat before the team was sucked in any deeper than they already were. With one last glance around the bullpen filled to standing room only with people all intent on finding and capturing Ian Doyle, Emily slipped out through the double doors of the BAU. She was heading to where she knew Ian Doyle would be waiting for her; where it all began eight years ago, Boston.<p>

* * *

><p>By the time darkness fell, Emily was back in Boston and settling herself into a corner booth with a vantage point view of the bar, watching Jack Fehey as she reflected on the past and everything that had led up to this point with Doyle.<p>

* * *

><p>Hotch glanced about the bullpen after the representatives from the different agencies and the officers from DC Metro PD had cleared out, he noticed that Emily was gone. He tried calling her cell and got no answer. With as strange as she'd been acting and the fact she was now gone, it didn't bode well… even a cadet like Seaver could tell that. He watched the team as they split up to look over what they had that could lead them to Doyle, then he headed for his office and closed the door. He had a phone call to make. He knew of exactly one person who had connections in the right agencies and would be as motivated as the team to do whatever it took to help find Emily. He scrolled through the address book on his phone until he came to the person he was looking for. JJ.<p>

* * *

><p>"I've got four names on the bottom of the list Prentiss gave us." Morgan said as he held up a post it note and walked toward their evidence board. He bent down to look at the document that had been sent to Prentiss. "Luke Renault, Lawrence Riley, Lila Rafferty, and Lyle Rogers." He said as he turned to face the team.<p>

"All with the initials LR" Ashley said as she slid forward to the edge of the desk she was seated on.

"The CIA uses cryptograms like that to assign to non-official cover agents working the same case." Hotch said as he looked around at the team.

"So do other foreign countries." Morgan said as he pulled the list off the evidence board and held it up. "These last four names are covers. Spies."

"Wait" Garcia said as she walked over to Morgan and grabbed the list from him, noticing that something was off. "No" she shook her head as she paced. "This isn't right." She turned to face the team and held up the document. "Do you see this space?" she asked as she pointed to a blank space at the bottom of the list. "That shouldn't be here."

"Could it be a formatting error?" Reid asked.

"No, this is a spreadsheet template. Formatting doesn't allow for this." Garcia said as she pointed at the document. "There's a missing name on here."

"There's another spy whose cover is LR." Hotch said as he stood with his arms crossed.

"Lauren Reynolds is dead" Reid murmured as he remembered walking in on Emily's phone conversation a couple of weeks ago.

"What?" Hotch asked as he turned around.

"Lauren Reynolds is dead." Reid said in realization as he looked up at the team. "Prentiss said that on a phone call 17 days ago, but her intonation wasn't surprise or grief. It was a mantra, like she was reminding herself. Lauren Reynolds. LR." Reid said as he stood up from sitting on the top of his desk.

"If Prentiss is the last name on that list, she's on Doyle's list too." Ashley said.

As the team discussed the situation, Hotch pulled out his phone and called Prentiss, moving to her desk as he followed the sound of a ringing phone.

"That explains her behavior the last month." Rossi said. "The secrets, the evasion."

"She's been biting her fingernails again too." Reid added.

"Guys" Hotch said getting everyone's attention as he showed them what he'd found in Prentiss' desk drawer. In his hands rested Prentiss' badge, service weapon, and cell phone.

"She left her badge and gun… why would she do that?" Morgan asked.

"That doesn't make sense. Why run? We're her family; we can help." Reid stated in a hurt and puzzled tone of voice.

"Doyle's killing families. She's not married, not close to relatives. He was ready to wipe us out. She ran to protect us." Rossi explained as the pieces all fell into place in his mind. "She's a trained spy. She doesn't want to be found." Rossi said.

"She knows all of our tricks. We don't know any of hers." Morgan said as he stood with his arms crossed.

"Alright, then how do we find her?" Garcia asked.

"Here's how." Hotch said as he strode towards the evidence board with Prentiss' building access ID in his hands. "Ian Doyle is our unsub. Prentiss is our victim." He said as he added Prentiss' photo to the evidence board. "We profile their behavior and we treat it like any other case." He said as he looked around at the team making eye contact with each of them to get them to focus. "Because terrorism isn't an area we specialize in, I've reached out to an expert from the State Department, someone who can also shed light on Prentiss' past."

"Who?" Reid asked.

"Her" Hotch replied raising his eyebrows as he nodded at the women walking across the elevator lobby to the doors of the BAU.

A mix of emotions crossed the faces of the various team members as they turned and saw JJ in the doorway.

JJ put aside all emotion as she paused in the doorway. This wasn't how she wanted to re-enter the BAU, but Emily needed them, whether she knew it or not. "Let's get to work."

* * *

><p>JJ had briefed the team on how Prentiss had been a part of JTF-12 and been undercover on Doyle since she was his type. Garcia had placed a bolo on Clyde Easter and all of his covers. That had led to TSA getting a hit on one of Clyde Easter's cover while he was on a plane to Boston. Hotch had ordered him detained as soon as he stepped off the plane. Now the team was on the jet en route Boston themselves.<p>

"Emily walked into a trap." Garcia said as she prepared the team to watch the footage she'd acquired from the Boston PD. "It looks like Doyle got into the SUV, but from this angle you can see that he didn't which I wish Boston PD would have told me before I started watching it. Sorry again for the screaming." Garcia said as she looked around at the team in order to avoid watching the video again.

"She threw a flash bang grenade into a car." Morgan said as he turned to look at the team. "She's lucky the three people inside didn't die. Is anybody else bothered by that?"

"Well, three bad guys." Rossi replied.

"Illegal as it is, I think Prentiss knows she has to be as ruthless as Doyle." Hotch said as he looked at Morgan.

"He's come to the US to wage a public vendetta and hired a group of mercenaries to remain loyal to him. He has nothing to lose, so she has to act the same way." Reid said as he walked through Prentiss' mindset.

"So how did Doyle know she was waiting for him?" Rossi asked.

"Well the mole must have told him right? The same guy who's been feeding Doyle the contractors and agents." JJ theorized.

"And our best suspect was just arrested with a suitcase full of cash." Ashley added. "How do we get Easter to talk? He won't co-operate willingly."

"I'll handle that. The rest of you focus on Doyle's location." Hotch said as he braced his hands on the back of Rossi and Ashley's seats.

"I hate to be the one to ask this," Garcia spoke softly as she looked up at Hotch, "but how long does Emily have?"

Hotch's gaze wavered slightly and he paused to find the right words, knowing that at this moment they all needed nothing less than the honest truth. "Her best chance is also the most troubling." He said and then paused to take a breath before continuing in muted tone of voice. "Doyle saved her for last because he views her as his stressor, which means he'll take his time."

There wasn't a single person on the jet who didn't know exactly what that meant for Emily Prentiss.

* * *

><p>Hotch took a deep breath before he opened the door to the interrogation room that held Clyde Easter. Then he stepped forwarded, grabbed the door knob, in no way relishing speaking with one of the few men on the earth who knew Emily Prentiss better than the team did; better than he did.<p>

* * *

><p>"So Jeremy sold the list to Doyle?" Hotch asked after listening to JJ and Garcia walk through what they'd found after digging through the backgrounds of Prentiss' former JTF-12 teammates that indicated that Clyde Easter wasn't the mole.<p>

"He was the first victim, killed quietly." JJ explained. "Doyle didn't want any attention until he was ready."

"Did Tsia know?" Hotch asked.

"Can't tell." Garcia said as she looked up at Hotch. "If I were running from a terrorist, I would cash in my IRA," Garcia paused as she realized how that sounded, "not that one, the other one, you know what I mean. The point is Tsia didn't touch that money, so I don't think she's in on it."

Hotch glanced at JJ who nodded her head in agreement with Garcia and then he turned to walk towards the interrogation room that held Clyde Easter to see if he could get him to help them save Prentiss.

* * *

><p>"Hey" JJ said looking up as Ashley joined them in a fresh blue button down shirt. "You gonna be okay?" she asked as she took in the younger women who had been badly shaken when she and Rossi came down from the roof. Ashley had been splattered with Jack Fehey's blood, and if anyone knew how disturbing that could be, it was JJ.<p>

"Yeah… thanks for the shirt." Ashley said as she picked at the blue fabric of the button down shirt JJ had pulled from her briefcase and lent to her to change into when she was trying to clean up.

"It's no problem." JJ replied. "I learned over the years to not only have a well packed go bag, but to also keep an extra shirt in my bag just in case I needed one before I could make it back to the hotel."

Ashley nodded as she sat down at the table with Garcia and JJ. She fidgeted as she looked back and forth between JJ and Garcia. "Is there anything I can do to help?" she asked nodding at the stacks of files in front of JJ and Garcia.

JJ shook her head. "No, right now we're just waiting for Hotch to finish talking to Clyde Easter. He's our best chance of helping Emily right now."

* * *

><p>"Did you know that Jeremy sold the list to Doyle?" Hotch asked as he sat with Clyde.<p>

"I had my suspicions." Clyde replied.

"So when you got to DC you couldn't trust Tsia either. Prentiss read your doubt as duplicity and so did we."

"Or you could have just asked me who Doyle's plant was."

"Would you have told me?"

"No" Clyde replied cheekily.

"Someone we both care about is in trouble." Hotch said as he looked at Easter, pleading with his eyes for Easter to agree to what he was about to propose. "I need the original profile when Doyle was a terrorist. We combine that with who he is now as a serial killer."

"Agent Hotchner, you took an oath to protect the laws of your country and I took one to protect the secrets of mine." Clyde replied. "Do you understand what you're asking?"

"I know it's not easy."

"I'll do it," Clyde replied knowing that there wasn't anyway he could live with not having helped Emily, "if you join me. You see there's no catching that man. He'll escape from your prison as easily as he did in North Korea and then" Clyde said shaking his head, "all hell breaks loose. If you want to stop that man, you have to put a bullet between his eyes yourself. Can you do that? … Can you break your oath, Agent Hotchner?"

"No" Hotch replied grimly as he looked at Easter.

"Can you take one then?" Clyde asked, unwilling to not help save Emily. "Can you swear that your team will save her?"

"Yes" Hotch replied stoically as he nodded his head.

Then a knock came at the door, the door opened and JJ stepped into the doorway. "The British Consul is here."

"Could you tell him I'll be right out?" Clyde asked. "I'm consulting with the BAU on a case."

* * *

><p>"I got it 1518 Adams Street." Garcia said as she managed to pull up the address of the warehouse where the photos of Louise Jones and her son Declan being murdered were taken.<p>

"Wait, wait, look at that." Reid said as he pointed at the pictures on the screen of the Joneses being murdered. "Morgan, come look at this."

"That's black clothing and a hand Reid." Morgan said as he leaned down next to Garcia to look at the pictures on the screen.

"No look at the fingernails." Reid said as he pointed at the screen.

"Oh my god" Garcia gasped in shock as she was struck with the realization of who was holding the gun in the photos on her screen.

* * *

><p>"Agent Prentiss is the only friendly in the building. Rescuing her is our primary objective." Hotch said as he briefed the strike force that would attack Doyle's makeshift complex in the warehouse.<p>

"Our only advantage here is stealth." Morgan added. "Once they know we're onsite there's nothing to stop them from killing her. So we keep it quiet until we get to her." He said as they continued the briefing and prepared everyone to move out.

* * *

><p>"I got her." Morgan called into his mike. "I got her in the basement on the south side. I need a medic." He said giving further details. "Prentiss… hey, it's me. I'm right here. You're gonna be alright." Morgan said as he gently placed his hand below the shaft of the broken piece of wood attempting to stem the flow of blood while his other hand held hers. "Stay with me baby, come on. Stay with me."<p>

Emily's head lolled to the side for a moment and then she opened her eyes and looked at Morgan as he talked to her. "Let me go."

"No, I am not letting you go." Morgan replied. "HELP ME!" he yelled in the direction of the stairs and then turned back to Emily. "Listen to me; I know why you did all of this. I know what you did for Declan. I am so proud of you. Do you understand that? I am proud of you because you are my friend and you are my partner. NO EMILY! Come on stay with me." Morgan said continuing to talk to Emily and to try and keep her conscious until the medics could get to them and get her medical help.

Emily faded in and out as she lay bleeding, gored in the abdomen by a broken piece of wood, only the sound of Derek Morgan's voice kept her tethered to this world.

"If you can hear me, just please squeeze my hand." Morgan said, then he felt Emily's weak grip on his hand. "Yes, there you go, there you go baby. Just keep squeezing."

* * *

><p>The team sat for what felt like an eternity in the waiting room waiting for news on Prentiss' condition. They each took their turns pacing and shifting aimlessly as they each tried in their own way to will Prentiss to come out of surgery safely.<p>

Hotch paced anxiously, burdened by the weight of his decision. A decision that could potentially alter the team forever; however this is what Prentiss needed. She couldn't speak for herself and voice her own decision right now, so he'd made one for her. He only hoped he could live with it and that if and when she woke up, she would understand why he had done what he had.

JJ stomach rolled with nerves as she walked down the hallway to where the team, her family, and the love of two lifetimes waited for her. She did not want to have to do what she was about to do. She knew why she had to do it, but there had to be a different way, a better way. She hoped after the shock of the moment wore off and she'd had an opportunity to talk to Hotch that she'd figure out what that was. For now, however, the moment of a crushing lie was upon her… and she was about to visit that lie on the team… on Spence as well.

The team looked up as JJ stood in the doorway with red bloodshot eyes from crying and she stood silent, not saying a word for a moment as she swallowed, trying to find the words that would seal Hotch's plan in place.

Garcia shook her head and mouthed 'no', already intuitively knowing just what JJ was going to say.

"She never made it off the table." JJ said in a broken voice, tears welling in her eyes as she stared at the spot of floor directly in front of Spence's feet, avoiding eye contact with everyone as she choked out words that she didn't want to say.

Everyone on the team broke down, each in their own way as the words soaked into their consciousness. Then Spence bolted up from his seat and headed for the doorway and made to pass JJ out into the hallway.

JJ reached out, grabbing him as he moved up next to her. "Spence" JJ said in concern for her boyfriend. She knew that he'd take this news badly, that was part of the reason it hurt so much to have to do this, even if it was for Emily's safety.

"I didn't get a chance to say goodbye." Spence murmured as he glanced up at JJ and then back down into the vacant space between then.

'Come here' JJ mouthed almost silently as she reached out and pulled Spence into her arms. She felt absolutely destroyed as her boyfriend sobbed on her shoulder for their very close friend who was at this very moment still unconcious in ICU awaiting covert exfiltration to Bethesda that would happen once the team had left.

JJ's eyes stared straight ahead as she clutched tightly to Spence. There had to be a way to fix this before things became even more messed up, before more damage was done to the team, to this family. She buried her nose into Spence's sweater covered shoulder as she thought of the happiness and promise the team, and she and Spence had known just 72 hours ago.


	10. Chapter 10

Okay - so I missed the cutoff for this being posted during the weekend in my time zone by about an hour and a half... let's just pretend I live in California and that it's only 11:26pm on Sunday night instead of 1:26am on Monday morning in Minnesota shall we?

Happy reading and enjoy :D

* * *

><p>JJ sat on the couch with her head in her hands. Her fingers wove in and out of the long blonde curtain of hair that hung across her face. She wished she could rewind a few hours ago to the hospital waiting room in Boston and somehow change things. Then she wouldn't have to do what she was going to have to do as soon as Spence was out of the shower…<p>

She'd never forget the crushed and heartbroken look on Spence's face after having broken the news that 'she never made it off the table'… and then just seconds after Spence started sobbing she'd had to pull away so that she could slip through the doors to the exit hallway to discuss the details of Emily's covert exfiltration with Hotch.

_"How soon can Emily be ready to move?" Hotch asked as he turned from watching JJ close the door to look her in the eye._

_"They stabilized her… but Hotch she really did almost die. She coded in the ambulance." JJ said as she glanced back at Spence who looked more than a little lost in the doorway of the waiting room. "Are you sure you want to do this?"_

_Hotch shook his head. "We have to JJ. Doyle is still out there. As long as Emily is dead, she's safe. This buys her the time she needs to heal and recuperate. While she's healing we'll find Doyle."_

_"Who exactly is 'we', Hotch?" JJ asked as she looked up at Hotch. "How is the team supposed to help when they don't know what's really going on? They deserve to know the truth." JJ argued._

_"JJ," Hotch sighed "we have to. Those are our orders."_

_In another life, that might have been enough of an argument to stop JJ from pushing her point, but this JJ had, for all intents and purposes, lived the last six years twice, with very different results… and she honestly couldn't believe that this was the best choice, that this was the best way._

_"And I don't have to agree with them… you don't either, otherwise you wouldn't have come back here so soon to practice schooling your facial expression for the team. How is the team supposed to help her if they don't even know she's alive?" JJ asked._

_Hotch shook his head. "They could help her by upholding the cover story that she's dead. If they believe she's dead then Doyle or anyone he has watching us will believe she's dead."_

_JJ shook her head and crossed her arms as she stood her ground. "And Emily can't come home until Doyle is captured. You know this team. Do you really think they're just going to let Doyle roam fee and not want justice for Emily, who they think is dead?"_

_"It isn't our case JJ."_

_JJ scoffed, "Because that's always stopped us before when something was personal. I'm serious Hotch. Secrets and lies got us into this mess in the first place; how is more of the same supposed to make it better?"_

_"It isn't JJ, but we have to protect Emily." Hotch replied. "It's not about us and what we want right now. It's about Emily and keeping her safe until she can protect herself."_

_"Don't you find it odd that the team that was best equipped to help find Doyle wasn't brought in?" JJ asked. "Who's going to protect her best and be the most motivated to find Doyle so that she can come home Hotch?" JJ argued._

_"JJ you know it doesn't work that way." Hotch replied._

_"What I know Hotch, is that this team should have been brought in from the very beginning and filled in completely. And I'm not necessarily talking about just from Emily. A task force was put together a month ago, and yet they turned up nothing…" JJ said._

_"JJ, you could have told me." Hotch replied._

_"That's exactly my point Hotch; I couldn't tell you because the team hadn't been brought into the loop. Do you really think we should keep the best team of profilers out of this? Just imagine how this could have turned out if the team had been in the loop? We might be on the jet laughing together on the way home instead of Emily being in ICU right now fighting for her life. We might have caught Doyle weeks ago. I'm not backing down Hotch. The team deserves to know; the team needs to know. I can't, I won't, lie to Spence, Hotch." JJ replied not know what else she could say to make her point._

_Hotch took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Give me a few minutes to make a phone call."_

_JJ took a deep breath, uncrossed and re-crossed her arms as she looked down at her shoes while she waited for Hotch. For the first time in months thoughts of life in the other reality crossed her mind… She hoped to god that Emily had shared what was going on with that team, because she couldn't imagine what it would be like for that Hotch to have to tell Jack that Emily was dead, for him to have to tell Avery and Seth that their mother was dead… She raised her hand and covered her mouth as emotion overcame her. Then she took a deep breath and turned to look at Hotch as he walked back towards her._

_"We're cleared to tell the team. You can tell Reid when you get home, but we have to wait until the after the funeral to tell the rest of the team. We'll do it in the SCIF to ensure that only the team knows. And when I say team, I mean only the team JJ… Strauss isn't even going to know that Emily is still alive…" Hotch said stressing the importance._

_JJ nodded and breathed a deep sigh of relief. Then she turned and looked back at the team and once again was crushed by the weight of having to maintain a lie with Spence for a few more hours and with the team until after Emily's funeral._

* * *

><p>"H…hey, are you okay?" Spence asked as he sat down beside her and rubbed his hand across her back.<p>

JJ looked up at Spence with a tear stained face and red rimmed teary eyes. "You know I love you right baby?"

"Of course I do JJ; I love you too." Spence said as he pulled JJ against his chest and wrapped his arms around her.

JJ sniffled and then nodded as she looked up at Spence, knowing it was the moment of truth to tell him that she'd lied to him. "I…" JJ started as her voice caught in her throat.

Spence waited patiently.

JJ took a deep breath to avoid hyperventilating. "I have something that I have to tell you, and I need you to listen to me and let me finish. Can you promise that you'll let me finish."

"Okay… I promise." Spence replied as his eyes studied her face for signs of what was wrong.

JJ sat up from leaning on Spence's chest so that she could look him the eye as she took his hands in hers. "When we… I…" JJ paused as she tried to find the right starting place, and took another deep breath.

"JJ what is it, you're scaring me here." Spence said softly as he squeezed JJ's hands.

JJ nodded. "Right, so… Emily coded in the ambulance, and it was touch and go in surgery, but they were able to stabilize her… she didn't really die on the table… she was in ICU when I told you all that she died on the table…" JJ said with sad eyes as she looked at Spence.

"You lied?" Spence asked softly as he fought to pull his hands back from JJ's.

"Spence, baby, wait… you promised to let me finish." JJ gasped as she fought to keep her grip on Spence's hands, to not let him pull away, not now, not when they needed each other the most.

Spence's shoulders slumped. "You're right, I did."

"I lied because Emily is going into hiding. She lost a lot of blood. She's really weak and it was touch and go while she was in surgery. She's being airlifted to Bethesda under covert exfiltration right now. As far as the doctors in Boston are concerned Emily Prentiss did die on the table. Her identity is strictly need to know when she reaches Bethesda. As soon as she's well enough to travel she's going to be under cover and in hiding until Doyle is captured. She'll be assigned new identities, but we won't know what they are." JJ said finally hitting her stride now that she had Spence's complete and undivided attention.

She continued. "I had to lie to everyone in the waiting room at the hospital because since Doyle escaped we don't know if he or one of his associates was watching to find out what happened to Emily… faking her death doesn't help her if I announced in the middle of a wide open waiting room where anyone could hear what I said…" JJ said as she squeezed Spence's hands. "Baby talk to me… say something…."

Spence stared down at JJ's hands… it hurt to know that JJ had lied to him… but what she said made sense… and she told him as soon as she could… and then a thought crossed his mind. He lifted his eyes to meet hers again. "What about the rest of the team?"

"Hotch and I are going to tell them, but we have to wait until after the funeral." JJ replied, shifting her grip on Spence's hands, afraid if she let go he'd push her away.

"Wait... Hotch knew?" Spence asked.

JJ nodded. "It was his idea to fake Emily's death to keep her safe."

Spence nodded, knowing the lengths Hotch was willing to go to in order to protect the team. "So why are you telling me early if Hotch planned on telling us all after the funeral? Why didn't he just tell us all on the jet?"

JJ winced, not knowing what to say in response other than the truth. "The plan was originally not to tell you or the team… because they were worried about anyone watching the team believing that Emily was really dead. But I couldn't not tell you Spence; … I couldn't lie to you for god knows how long until Emily can come home."

Spence felt like his breath had been knocked out of him at the thought of thinking that Emily was dead when she was alive for who knew how long. He squeezed JJ's hands. "Th… thank you for telling me." he said, his voice cracking. "So, I can't tell anyone until anyone… or talk about it until after the funeral?"

JJ nodded. "And even after that, even though the team will know, you still won't really be able to talk about it. We have to make believe that Emily is dead, because if we don't we could tip off anyone who is watching us."

Spence nodded. "That's still better than thinking that Emily's really dead… but I still didn't get to say goodbye."

"I know baby… I'm so sorry. I wish I could have let you." JJ said as tears crested and spilled over her eyelids.

Spence nodded and pulled his hands free of JJ's.

JJ breath caught in her throat, unsure what Spence was going to do.

Spence lifted his hands and ran his thumbs across the hollows of her eyes, wiping away her tears. Then he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.

JJ allowed herself to breathe again with the knowledge that she and Spence were going to be okay.

"You should go take a shower." Spence whispered into her hair. "You'll feel better."

"What about you?" JJ asked as she looked up at Spence.

"I'm just going to double check that everything is locked up and then I'll wait for you in bed." Spence replied.

"Okay" JJ said as she nodded. "We're okay, right?" JJ asked as she rubbed her hands over the soft cotton of the t-shirt covering Spence's chest.

"We're okay. You did what you had to do to keep Emily safe, and you told me as soon as you could. I understand." Spence replied with a sad smile.

"But?" JJ asked at the sad expression on Spence's face.

"But Emily still has weeks of recovery in front of her… and she's going to have to do it alone… just because we know… we aren't going to be able to contact her are we?" Spence asked.

JJ shook her head. "I don't know Spence… I'm just glad she's alive right now. I haven't really let myself think about anything past talking to you since the hospital… We'll just have to find Doyle as quick as we can so that Emily can come home."

Spence nodded. "I love you." he said and then leaned down to kiss her, then tucked a stray hair behind her ear as he pulled back from the kiss. "Go take a shower. You really will feel better." Spence said as he stood up and helped JJ to her feet.

"I love you too." JJ leaning up on her tiptoes to kiss her boyfriend.

* * *

><p>The week was hell on earth for team as they mourned the loss of their teammate and friend, but it was especially hellacious for JJ, Spence, and Hotch as they watched everyone else mourn but had to remain silent about Emily being alive.<p>

Finally the day of the Emily's funeral arrived. JJ, Ashley, and Penelope followed quietly behind the coffin as Spence, Morgan, Rossi, Hotch, and Anderson carried it to its resting place. JJ couldn't bring herself to think of it as Emily's coffin, even if that's what the tombstone was going to say.

JJ squeezed Spence's hand as the both stood mutely staring at the Priest as his words washed over them. She knew the funeral was mainly to convince Doyle and his associates that Emily was dead, but she was very glad that they were telling the team after this.

She knew the team were caught up in their grief but surely, eventually one of them, most likely would have started to question all of the little things that didn't make sense, like the fact that Emily had always said she wanted to be cremated, that her own mother wasn't at her funeral… but then she supposed there were other things that sold it as being authentic. The flowers, the simple understate epitaph engraved on the headstone 'Fidelity, Bravery, Integrity'. If that weren't enough to convince Doyle and his henchmen, there was of course all of her grieving friends surrounding the grave, looking at the tombstone engraved with 'Emily Prentiss October 12, 1970 – March 7 2011'.

She only let go of Spence's hand when she had to walk up next to the coffin and place her rose on it. Then she waited anxiously as one after another of the team solemnly placed their roses on what they thought to be Emily's coffin. Then her fingers found Spence's again as he stepped into the spot between her and Ashley to settle his rose along with everyone else's.

Spence squeezed JJ's hand, his stomach rolled as he bent over to place his red rose on the coffin, he had a major headache right now, but was waiting until they walked away from the gravesite to put his sunglasses back on. The only thing helping to soothe his nerves was JJ's thumb that was rubbing circles on the backside of his hand. He blinked in the bright sunlight to block out the unadulterated grief on everyone else's faces. He would be glad when they too knew the truth. Right now it felt like a heavy burden on his shoulders to carry the secret that Emily wasn't in this coffin. Emily wasn't dead. Emily was recuperating just miles down the road at Bethesda. Emily hadn't even wanted to be buried; she'd once made it clear that when she died she wanted to be cremated.

"Are you okay?" JJ asked softly as Spence stood close to her opening the car door for her.

"Yeah, I just… the sun is bright." Spence said squinting as he tried to will his headache away.

JJ nodded and reached into her purse and pulled out the sunglasses that had on some days been ever present and on other days had not been needed. She'd grabbed them as they'd been leaving the house, just in case.

"Thanks JJ" Spence murmured as he put them on.

* * *

><p>The team and JJ entered the bullpen together, still dressed from the funeral. Penelope had decided that they should clean out Emily's desk together… they'd save Emily's apartment for the weekend. Penelope already had picked up Sergio and his things.<p>

Rossi sat a box on Emily's desk. "Are we sure we want to do this today? It can wait until next week or the week after."

"Looking at her desk the way she left it is just going to be too painful." Garcia said as she looked at the desk trying to figure where to begin.

"Here, baby girl, let me." Morgan said as he took of his suit jacket and laid it across the back of his old desk chair. He took of his tie and rolled up his sleeves. Then he sat down at Emily's desk and pulled out a desk drawer… and smiled sadly.

"What, what is it?" Penelope asked.

"Kurt Vonnegut, 'Slaughter House 5'," Morgan said as he held up the book, remembering his conversation with Emily not too long after she first joined the BAU. As he continued to pull various items out of the drawer, the team reminisced over every item that had sentimental value, while case files and other work related materials were set off to the side to be filed away or completed by another team member.

Within an hour the team had cleaned out Emily's desk, and it looked much as it had just over four years ago; empty and waiting for a new occupant.

Morgan stood up from the now empty desk and pushed the chair in. He paused for just a moment with his hand on the back of the chair as he thought about the people who'd sat in this chair over his years with team. When he first joined the team it had been Mike Jacobs' desk. Mike had been headed to Boston on a bombing case with Gideon and the rest of the team the last time he'd seen him… He'd been held up because a prosecutor had needed some questions answered and Mike had talked him into taking the call, and the team had gone to Boston without him… then there was Elle… he shook his head as he thought about how Elle had left the team… and finally Emily… as bad as it was how Elle had left the team… at least she was still alive and out there somewhere. Emily… well, Emily wasn't.

"Who's up for a drink?" Morgan asked as he wrapped his arm around a sniffling Garcia.

"Actually, I need to talk to all of you, but we can stop on the way out." Hotch replied.

"On the way out?" Rossi asked as he tipped his head and looked, really looked at Hotch. The man had aged in the last week… could it mean… did it mean…

Everyone picked up their things and then followed Hotch to the elevator. They watched in confusion when instead of hitting the button for the parking garage, he hit the button for the basement.

"Hotch what's…" Morgan started to ask.

Hotch held up his hand and spoke softly, quietly, "I know you have questions and you'll have an opportunity to ask them, but I'm asking you to wait."

The team, except for JJ and Reid, grew more confused as Hotch led them to a SCIF and punched in his access code to open the door.

"Hotch, what's goin' on?" Morgan asked the second door closed and the locks clicked into place.

Hotch crossed his arms and took a deep breath. "Under the wise advice of someone I trust and respect very much, I was told that I should share this with you. And the more I've thought about it, the more I've come to realize how right they were." Hotch said as he glanced at JJ. "Last week, I made a decision that deeply affects this team and you all have the right to know about it. You all know that Emily lost a lot of blood and was gravely injured in her fight with Doyle." Hotch began.

Morgan and Penelope looked at each other in confusion and then back at Hotch. Rossi leaned back against the edge of the conference table that took up the majority of the room in the SCIF. Ashley looked perplexed. 'Shouldn't Hotch have said mortally wounded, not gravely wounded'? JJ and Spence tightly held hands as they waited for Hotch to share the news with the rest of the team.

"But the doctors were able to stabilize her and she was airlifted from Boston to Bethesda under covert exfiltration." Hotch continued. "Her identity is strictly need to know, because with Doyle still out there, Emily isn't safe. She needs time to heal and recuperate. Once she's well enough to travel she's going to be given new cover identities that we won't have access to for her security."

"She's alive?" Penelope asked with tears in her eyes.

"I take full responsibility and I know this brings up issues." Hotch continued.

"Issues, yeah, I got issues. I just went to Emily's funeral and cleaned out her desk, and NOW you tell us that she's alive." Morgan said with tears in his eyes.

Hotch took a deep breath. "I know Morgan, it isn't fair, but what I need all of you to remember is that this isn't about us. This is about Emily. She's still in critical condition at Bethesda and wouldn't stand a chance against Doyle right now were he to find out that she is still alive. So yes, I just told you now. We don't know if Doyle has people watching us, gaging our reactions… so the emotions, the reactions… they needed to be authentic. We're taking a big risk with Emily's life even letting this many people know."

Ashley glanced up from her hands. "We weren't supposed to know, were we…? I mean you said that someone gave you the advice to tell us… the original plan was to let us continue to think she was dead, wasn't it?"

"Yes, it was." Hotch replied, "and now that you know that she's not, you're going to have to continue to act like she is."

"Then why even tell us at all?" Ashley asked.

Hotch looked at JJ and nodded.

JJ cleared her throat, "Because there isn't going to be a more motivated group of people to track down Doyle. We end this, and Emily gets to come home. This is also the best group of people to track Doyle down… but it's going to take time… and we'll have to be smart."

"This is beyond 'Top Secret'… not even Strauss knows that Emily is alive. The papers that are being put together are being done by several different people so that no one person could put together that the passports, documents, and papers are for Emily." Hotch explained.

"I know you're probably angry and confused," Hotch continued "but, JJ was right when she convinced me to get the clearance to tell you all. Secrets and lies are what got us into this position and more of the same isn't going to fix it. I need this team to be a cohesive group… I know we have an uphill battle ahead of us carrying the same case load as we normally do and looking for a way to find Doyle, but I know this team and this isn't the first time we've been personally invested in a case." He said as he looked around at the team. "We've done it before, and we can do it again. Are we in agreement?"

Ashley nodded.

"I'm in Hotch." Reid said, finally breaking his silence.

Garcia swallowed. "Me too, sir."

"We get to bring Emily home, and keep a secret from Strauss?" Rossi said with a smirk. "That's just too good of an opportunity."

Everyone turned to look at Morgan.

"What, you think I'm just going to leave princess hangin' in the wind? Of course I want that bastard Doyle behind bars so Emily can come home." Morgan replied. He was angry, but he'd find a way to move past it. He had to; Emily's life depended on it.

"Do you have any questions?" Hotch asked.

And then Reid was struck with a sudden realization as he remembered back to the weeks and months after the Adrian Bale bombing in Boston. "Since Strauss doesn't know, we're going to have to do grief counseling aren't we?" he asked with a pained expression on his face.

For the first time in a week, the team and JJ laughed together. It was amazing the healing power in laughter.

Hotch wiped tears of laughter from his eyes as he nodded his head. "Yes Reid, yes we are."


	11. Chapter 11

Sorry about the horrendously long wait for the next chapters... until the day I win the lottery and can afford to do nothing by write all day - delays are going to happen from time to time... I apologize profusely both for this delay and any future delays.

I solemnly swear I am up to no good... oh wait... wrong fandom ... I don't own Criminal Minds... unless we're counting DVDs. Are we counting DVDs? No? Damn it.

Thanks to all of you who continue to read, review, favorite, set up alerts... I'm glad you're all enjoying the story. More to come ASAP, I promise... and to anyone who was concerned that a certain event that happened during a certain season finale might have thrown me off my game... I say wedding? What wedding? The stories all continue on as planned... Can't sink my ship. Raise the main sail, steady on the helm, and forward ho!

Happy reading and enjoy :D

* * *

><p>"Unca 'Pence wut you do?" Henry asked his Uncle Spence as they followed Mommy out of the house to the car.<p>

"What am I going to do while you are at daycare playing with the other kids and Mommy is at work?" Spence asked as he looked down at Henry, whose hand he was holding.

"Uh huh" Henry nodded as they stopped beside the car and Mommy opened the back door.

"Well I have to go to work too." Uncle Spence explained.

"Oh, otay." Henry replied with a nod.

Uncle Spence bent down and scooped up Henry. "Ugh you're heavy. You must have eaten a lot for breakfast." He said and then tickled Henry's belly as he set him in his car seat.

Henry giggled and wiggled his legs as he squirmed in his seat. "I eated awot. You maked 'ancakes!" Henry squealed.

"That's right." Spence chuckled. "We did have pancakes, didn't we?"

"Uh huh" Henry nodded.

JJ smiled as she watched her boyfriend tell her son goodbye, for what would hopefully be just the day.

Spence nodded. "Okay, well you have fun at daycare with the other boys and girls and I'll see you later okay?"

"Otay!" Henry said cheerfully as Uncle Spence kissed the top of his head and then backed out of the car.

"What about me?" JJ asked as Spence stood back up. "Do I get a goodbye hug and kiss?" she teased.

Spence smiled and stepped closer to his girlfriend. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. "Absolutely" He said as he leaned down to kiss her.

"Mm" JJ moaned into the kiss just before their lips separated. "Have I ever told you how sexy you look when you wear your navy pea coat with your purple scarf? I love when you wear your purple scarf." JJ said as she ran her hands up his chest and held onto the lapels of his coat.

Spence grinned. "This scarf is my favorite. It's very special to me since you got it for me for my 24 birthday. Did you know that was the first time I'd celebrated my birthday since before my dad left?" he asked as he leaned back to look at JJ.

A sad expression crossed JJ's face at the thought of Spence not celebrating his birthday for 14 years. "Baby…" JJ said as she let go of the lapels of his coat and her hands slid back down his chest and inside his open coat to wrap around his waist.

"It's okay JJ… you and everybody else have more than made up for the years I missed out on celebrating my birthday." Spence replied.

JJ sighed and leaned up to kiss Spence. She made a mental note to make his birthday this year extra special for him, but that was several months away. "I love you." JJ said as she pulled back out of the kiss and swiped her thumb over Spence's lips wiping away the traces of her lipstick.

"I love you too. Have a good day at work." Spence replied and leaned down to kiss JJ once more before un-wrapping his arms from around her waist.

"Mm hm" JJ murmured. "Talk to you later." She said with a smile as Spence opened the driver's side door of her car and held it for her as she climbed in.

Spence watched as JJ began to back up. Then he waved back when Henry began waving. Once JJ was backed out of the driveway, he walked over to his own car that was parked next to where JJ's had been sitting. He climbed into his Volvo Amazon and backed down the driveway, pulled out onto the street, and headed for Quantico.

* * *

><p>"Mmmm feese ah soooo gwoood." Kevin moaned with his mouth full of cupcake as he licked frosting off his thumb.<p>

Garcia hummed as she headed back from getting her purse and laptop out of Esther to the elevator where Kevin stood waiting for her and gasped at the sight of Kevin eating the very cupcakes she'd spent the night before slaving over to get them baked and decorated. "Kevin! What did you do?" Penelope asked as she walked up next to him.

"I ate a cupcake… well two actually… they are sooooo good sugar plum." Kevin said as he reached out for another cupcake.

Penelope quickly swatted Kevin's hand away. "Stop! These are for Ashley's graduation… OH MY GOD!… You ate the 'T' and the 'E'?"

"Ummm I didn't know they were for a special occasion…" Kevin winced slightly as he pushed his glasses up on the bridge of his nose.

"How could you not know that the cupcakes that specifically spelled out C-O-N-G-R-T-U-L-A-T-I-O-N-S G-R-A-D-U-A-T-E weren't for a special occasion?" Garcia asked as she looked in horror at the now incompletely spelled words made out of decorated cupcakes. Why couldn't Kevin have just eaten the flag cupcake… she could have lived with him eating the flag cupcake, but no… he just _had_ to eat the 'T' and the 'E'.

"I, uh, thought they were to teach Henry letters of the alphabet…" Kevin replied.

"Yes, because today's episode of Sesame Street is brought you by less than half the letters of the alphabet!" Garcia said as she turned to look at her now sheepish boyfriend and smacked him on the shoulder. "Sesame Street would have also been brought to you today by the letter 'E', but someone ate it."

"I'm really sorry Penelope..." Kevin said flashing his 'apologetic' smile.

Penelope sighed. "Come on, we need to get to work." she said as she firmly closed the lid on the cupcakes and took the container from him. Then she headed for elevator.

Penelope breathed deeply as she stood in the elevator, bracing herself for another day of the team not being complete and together the way they were meant to be. First losing JJ to the Pentagon… and now Emily being exiled for her own safety until they could find Doyle… it was like the heart and soul of the team being ripped out while the vultures circled waiting for the rest to the team to fall apart one piece at time.

"I really am sorry Penelope." Kevin said as the elevator paused at the fourth floor for him to get off.

"I know you are… and I'm not mad." Penelope replied half-heartedly, still lost in her thoughts of what had become of the team over the last nine months.

"Coolio" Kevin replied and then paused as he prepared to step out of the elevator, "how about I make it up to you tonight with dinner out?"

Penelope shook her head. "The team has a case in Portland, so I don't think that's going to work."

"Okay… well maybe when the case is over then." Kevin replied with a smile at his girlfriend as the elevator doors slid shut. Then the elevator carried Penelope the rest of the way to the sixth floor.

Penelope paused as she got off the elevator, unable to resist the urge to pause and look at Emily's photo. She stared long and hard. She missed her friend and she couldn't begin to imagine everything that Emily was going through, all alone and healing in a sterile hospital room where no one was allowed to know her name, let alone send her flowers and balloons.

"Penelope, you gotta stop staring at her." Morgan said as he stepped up beside her and glanced at Emily's photo mounted on the Hall of Honor. "Prentiss wouldn't want us to sulk; you know that."

Penelope turned and looked at Morgan. "I'm not sulking." She said as she allowed her anguish at missing her friend to show for just a moment. She swallowed and then looked away from Moran. "I'm surrounded by testosterone now."

Morgan sighed as he looked Prentiss' photo on the wall. It was taking some work, but he was coming to terms with how everything had played out, and hell yes he wanted to catch Doyle so Prentiss could come home, but it was going to take time. "She would also want us to embrace Seaver." Morgan said quietly.

Penelope spun on her heals and pulled back the lid on the container, revealing the cupcakes. "I baked."

"Congratulations Gradua?" Morgan said as he looked at the cupcakes and then up at Penelope.

"Kevin ate the 'T'… _and_ _the 'E'_" Penelope said as she looked down at the cupcakes.

Morgan huffed in amusement and then patted Penelope on the shoulder. "Come on you." he said and then they walked together to the double glass doors of the bullpen. "Hey listen, I got an idea. You and I could eat the 'U' and the 'A' and that way it would say 'Congratulations Grad'" Morgan said as he gestured to the cupcakes.

"Hm" Penelope murmured, her heavy thoughts from before lifting, "and here I always imagined you feeding me strawberries." Penelope joked with a quirk of her eyebrow.

The two friends laughed together as they moved into the bullpen and then to the round table room for their morning briefing.

* * *

><p>"Yes, yes you do." Hotch said as he stood outside the round table room speaking with Strauss via phone. "Thank you." he nodded at Dave as he joined him on the catwalk.<p>

"How you doin'?" Dave asked as Hotch hung up his phone.

"I'm worried about the team," Hotch said as he turned to look through the door of the round table room, "and Strauss thinks that adding a probationary agent is going to solve our problems.

"Seaver knows that she's not replacing Prentiss." Dave said as he followed Aaron towards the door.

"I know," Aaron said as he turned to look at Dave, "and she's got potential, but we need an experienced profiler and we need one now." He said as he glanced about and then leaned in close to Dave, speaking in a whisper. "Who knows how long it will take us to catch Doyle so that Emily can come back."

Dave nodded in understanding. "Have you started looking yet?"

"Yeah, let me know if you have any ideas." Hotch said and then turned to walk into the conference room.

"Congratulations Agent Seaver" Hotch said as he walked into the room.

Ashley brushed off her hands quickly as she turned to shake Hotch's hand. "Thank you."

"Who made the cupcakes?" Rossi asked as he fist bumped Ashley.

"I did." Penelope pipe up.

"Thank you all for coming to my graduation. It meant a lot." Ashley said with a nod as she sat down at the table.

"Let's get started." Hotch said with a quick glance about at the team.

"Okay, we're going to Portland Oregon…" Penelope said as she began the briefing.

* * *

><p>"We believe our unsub is a white male paranoid schizophrenic who suffers from hallucinations." Hotch said as he stood in front of the Portland PD leading the team in delivering the profile. "Since schizophrenic breaks usually occur in your early twenties, we believe he's around this age and that he lives nearby."<p>

Reid sat anxiously on the edge of the table behind the rest of the team. He shifted uncomfortably as he tried to cover his discomfort at listening to the sense of futility that the unsub was feeling. It hit a little too close to home at the moment.

Morgan noticed how distracted Reid was and noted how much it was probably bothering Reid that their unsub was a schizophrenic, seeing as his Mom was one.

"We think this unsub is hyper-vigilant and in this condition is unable to travel very far from his home." Hotch continued explaining the profile.

Reid swallowed and kept his gave down. His eyes diverted back and forth from his hands in his lap to the map on the desk top. He never looked up at the officers in front of the team, not once.

"He kills at night and is extremely violent." Rossi explained as he stood with his thumbs hooked in his back pockets. "During the day, he's most likely a loner. Someone in this state probably can't keep a job. We believe something happened to our unsub in his childhood."

Morgan glanced over to check on Reid again and grew a little more concerned with how much the profile seemed to be bothering Reid.

"Childhood voices are telling him to kill," Rossi continued, "or he's misinterpreting them as doing so."

"Our unsub has probably been coping until now, but a recent stressor brought him back to that childhood incident and is causing him to act out." Ashley said as she added to what the team was thinking.

"Our unsub spends his days wandering trying to fight the desire to kill. Yet he feels trapped by his hallucinations." Morgan said, picking up where Ashley had left off. "No matter what he does, or tries to do, the hallucinations power is greater than his own."

Reid had never liked being in the uncomfortable position of being able to relate to the unsub, especially in an instance like this. Was he fighting off voices and hallucinations telling him to kill? Certainly not, but he could understand the powerlessness that the unsub must feel. No matter what how many doctors he'd seen in the last few months, they all told him the same thing. There was nothing physically wrong with him… it was psychosomatic… it was all in his head. His greatest fear had always been that just when he was reaching the prime of his life, it would all be stolen from him by the same disease that had stolen his mother from him.

"Because of his limited social circle as a child, it is our belief that the incident involved close friends or family. Now, once we figure out what happened when he was a kid and the stressor that recently triggered a relapse, we'll be that much closer to narrowing down the killer's identity." Morgan explained.

Reid continued to be lost in his own thoughts after Morgan finished speaking.

"Reid?" Hotch said, turning to look over his shoulder at Reid, prompting him to explain the geographic profile.

Reid licked his lips and picked up the map of the jeopardy surface that he'd created and tried to ignore the persistent throbbing in his head. "We need you all to start searching in this area." He said as he handed the map to the detective. "Based on previous kills we know that he strikes at night and he will not retreat until we find him."

As soon as the meeting broke up Reid headed for the men's room. Morgan watched with concern in his eyes, and followed at a casual pace, not wanting to alert the rest of the team that something was wrong.

Reid bent over the sink and cupped his hands, filling them with cool water. He splashed handful after handful of cool water on his face, hoping that the cool water would ease his headache. When he lifted his head and wiped the water from his eyes, Morgan's reflection was in the mirror.

"You know that profile kind of makes it sound like schizophrenia leads to serial killing." Reid said as he pulled ripped off a section of paper towel to dry his face.

"That's not what we said at all Reid." Morgan replied calmly as he looked at his friend.

"You know my Mom has schizophrenia. There are many different types."

"I know that." Morgan replied in response to both comments.

"Catatonic, disorganized." Reid said as he pulled off more paper towels. "Just because someone suffers from an inability to organize their thoughts, or they can't bathe or dress themselves, doesn't mean they stab someone," Reid continued as he turned around and sat on the edge of the bathroom counter facing Morgan, "thirty times in the chest post mortem."

"Reid, what's really going on?" Morgan asked in a concerned tone.

Reid took a breath and gathered his thoughts and then looked at Morgan. "Our unsub's hallucinations aren't fractured like a typical schizophrenic. They're vivid and clear, leading me to believe that we're missing an important variable. Rather than making crazy conjectures," Reid shrugged into himself, "I think we should be trying to figure out what it is."

"Hey, listen to me," Morgan said getting Reid's attention, "I know this is a scary age for you. It's when schizophrenic breaks happen. Have you talked to anybody about this?"

"JJ… and Emily" Reid murmured as he kept his head down.

"Have you seen a doctor?" Morgan asked, wanting to make sure his friend got help if he needed it.

"They all say I'm fine." Reid replied.

"Then why don't you believe them?"

"Because predicting one's chances of developing a genetic condition are like finding a penny in an ocean." Reid said and then paused to take a breath as he contemplated his options and then made the decision to share his secret with one more person. "I have terrible headaches. I can't sleep at night. I can't focus on our cases. I… I only read ten books last week and five of those were Dr. Seuss books I read to Henry." Reid said as he looked up at Morgan.

Morgan cracked a smile at the thought of Reid reading Dr. Seuss to Henry; then his face became serious again. "Come on kid, you got to cut yourself some slack." He paused as he looked around making sure they were the only ones in the rest room. "You're also depressed about how things went down with Prentiss… and I get that, we all are. I miss her everyday… and once we figure out how to get Doyle so that she can come home, we'll all feel better. You know, if your mind really was splitting, do you think you'd be able to figure out that this team was missing a variable?"

Reid swallowed. "I'm just speculating that we are. We need to prove it." He said as he looked up at Morgan.

"Okay then, you do that." Morgan replied. "The moment you are wandering around the streets aimlessly, that's when I'll be concerned about you."

Reid smiled ever so slightly at his friend's loyalty and belief in him.

"I don't think I have to worry about getting a call from JJ saying that she can't find you anytime soon." Morgan said with a shake of his head more glad now than ever that JJ and Reid had gotten together. He knew even within this conversation that Reid was holding things back, minimizing the effect and toll that this was all taking on him. He hoped that JJ had been able to get Reid to open up to her. "Come on pretty boy, let's get to work."

* * *

><p>Morgan reflected on the case as he waited for the coffee to finish brewing on the jet. The case was over. They'd apprehended Ben Foster after chasing him through his neighborhood and finally caught up with him in the homes of one of his neighbors where he'd taken two children hostage.<p>

However, what bothered him most about the case was how on edge it had put Reid. He was genuinely concerned for his friend. He'd watched painfully as Reid struggled while the team gave the profile. He was concerned for his friend's health.

He sighed as the coffee pot finished brewing and filled his cup. Then he turned and headed back out of the galley and into the main passenger cabin. He passed by first Rossi, and then Hotch, both of whom were asleep in order to take a seat on the arm rest of the chair across the aisle from Seaver.

"Why are you still up?" he asked as he looked at Seaver who was curled up in the chair with the case file in hand.

"I've been looking over Ben's file; turns out he's been seeing evil imaginary friends ever since he was a child." Ashley replied.

"Ben was always a killer. You think he had schizophrenia?" Morgan asked. He knew what he thought, but he wanted to know what Ashley thought.

"He may have suffered from some mental disease, but schizophrenia usually presents itself in your late teens or early twenties." Ashley replied.

"Ben did kill those people in that fire, which is part of the homicidal triad." Morgan said thoughtfully.

"And his mother thought an exorcism would get rid of the demons."

"The only way to stop a killer is to catch him Seaver."

Ashley half chuckled in a sad manner, "You know I always viewed serial killers as monsters" she said, but what she left unsaid was that meant she viewed her own father as a monster. Part of what had led her to pursue a career in the FBI, jump at the chance to consult on that original case, and to then request an assignment to the BAU was the potential to not only make amends for the lives her father had taken, but to also attempt to understand her father. What she was coming to find however, was that just like so much of life, there were no easy answers. "but Ben's remorse seemed real. And that's why I can't sleep. I… I can't get him out of my mind." She paused, wondering if there would ever be answers to her questions. "Does it ever go away?"

Morgan turned to glance over at the genius stretched out asleep on the couch of the jet, resting peacefully for the first time in who knows how long. Then he turned back to Ashley and nodded his head. "Luckily it does."

* * *

><p>Erin Strauss sat behind her desk looking morosely at two framed pictures on the desk in front of her. One was a photo of her shattered family; the other was a photo of her shattered alpha BAU team.<p>

She picked up the glass of scotch and took a large swallow from the heavy lead crystal low ball glass that she'd taken to keeping in her desk drawer. Make no mistake; this wasn't a casual after-hours drink. Those had ended months ago. This was an after-hours drink to cope with the upheaval in her personal and professional lives.

After her divorce a few years ago, her ex-husband Robert had filed for and won sole custody of her children. Of course it wasn't hard considering that her children had all told the judge they would prefer to live with their father. The depressing state of things was that she would go home to an empty house and she'd get up again tomorrow and it would be an almost identical repeat of today.

She had realized only too late that she had reaped what she had sown and now she had to make her peace with that. And perhaps that was the most bitter pill to swallow. Just as she had turned the corner in realizing that she needed to make amends, one of the people at the top of the list of people due an apology for all the wrongs she'd done in both her professional and personal life had died.

Oh she knew exactly what Emily Prentiss thought of her. You didn't manage the Behavioral Analysis Unit as well as the rest of her section of the FBI without learning how to do a little profiling of your own. The woman had reviled her, and in retrospect it was a well-earned opinion. However, now she'd never be able to tell one of the finest agents she'd ever met how much she admired and respected her. Although she'd never tell a soul, Emily Prentiss, had earned her admiration by standing up to her when so many would have just given in and done what she asked no matter their morals or principles. It hadn't made her happy at the time, but the fact that Emily Prentiss had unwaveringly stood up to her in the face of losing her career, she could definitely admire and respect a woman who wouldn't be controlled, not even by Section Cheif Erin Strauss.

The amber alcohol burned as it slid down her throat, but she couldn't help but enjoy the numb feeling that overcame her as everything went away, if only for a little while. Oh she knew she shouldn't be drinking. She was supposed to have quit months ago, at least the was the first time she'd tried. But somehow every time she quit, she'd make it only so long and then it was back to comforting drinks at home after work. Then the slow slide back into the depths of the problem that she still couldn't quite bring herself to admit outloud that she had would begin again. Scotch at home after work would turn into Scotch at the office after work. Scotch at work after-hours would turn into drinks at lunch. Drinks at lunch always managed to give way to a vodka bottle stashed in a filing cabinet in her office. Vodka was obviously not her drink of choice; however, it had an advantage over other liquor in that it left behind no scent on her breath.

After a few days of vodka at work, she'd become disgusted with herself and resign herself to once again quitting. She tried twice. She was now in the midst of her third cycle. Agent Prentiss' death is what drove her to Scotch after-hours at the office. Perhaps this time she needed more help than just an AA meeting… but that was for another day, Erin thought to herself as she lifted the glass of amber alcohol to her lips again in an attempt to give her mind a bit of peace from the guilt, remorse, and regret that weighed upon her. She made a mental note to stop and pick up a bottle of vodka on the way home.

* * *

><p>JJ smiled as she heard the now familiar sound of Spence's car in the driveway. She turned off the movie that she and Henry had been watching while they cuddled up on the couch together after bath time. Then she heard his key in the lock of the door.<p>

Henry glanced up at Mommy with an excited look on his face and scrambled down from Mommy's lap, impatient to see who was at the door.

Spence stepped through the door. He felt a bit refreshed from the nap he'd gotten on the plane, hopefully he'd still be able to sleep tonight he mused as he closed and locked the door behind him and set his go bag off to the side. He turned around just in time to see a short blonde pajama clad boy dash across the entry way and wrap his arms around his thigh.

"Unca 'Pence you home!" Henry said excitedly, his eyes dancing as he looked up at one of his godfather and one of his favorite people.

JJ's heart soared at Henry calling this 'home' for Spence. She smiled as she watched Spence bend down and pick Henry up.

"Hey big guy," Spence said as he settled Henry on his hip, "what did you and Mommy do the last few days?"

Spence smiled, the worries and concerns that had been raised by the case being pushed to the back of his mind as he listened to Henry happily jabber on about his busy three days with Mommy while Uncle Spence was gone. He nodded as he walked over to JJ. "Wow it sounds like you had a busy week Henry." He said when the toddler paused to take a breath.

JJ seized her opportunity. "Hi" she said leaning up to give Spence a quick peck. "How are you?"

Spence took a deep breath. "Can we talk about it later?"

She nodded in understanding. Then she turned to look at Henry and rubbed his back as he yawned. "I think its bedtime baby boy."

Henry turned to look from Mommy to Uncle Spence. "You wead me a 'tory Unca 'Pence?"

Spence glanced at JJ who nodded.

"Sure Henry, we can read a story." Spence replied as he looked back at his godson.

"Yay!" Henry cheered.

JJ smiled. "Why don't you boys go up and read. I'm just going to put a few things away and then I'll come up and we'll read our story okay?" she asked as she glanced back and forth between her boys.

Henry nodded in agreement. "Otay Mama."

"Give Mommy a kiss Henry." Spence said, knowing full well the toddler might fall asleep in the middle of the first story. It had happened on more than one occasion.

Henry leaned over in Uncle Spence's arms and wrapped his arms around Mommy's neck in a hug. Then he leaned back and kissed Mommy.

"Mm Good hug and kiss Henry." JJ said as she looked at Henry's grinning face. "Have fun reading with Uncle Spence. I'll see you in a few minutes okay?" she asked and then leaned forward and kissed Henry once more, lest he fall asleep. She wanted to give Henry a few minutes with Spence. He'd been asking where Spence was and when he would be home off and on all week.

JJ turned and headed for the kitchen to clean up quick while Spence and Henry headed upstairs to read.

After quickly loading the dishwasher, wiping down the counters, and checking to make sure that the house was locked up properly, she headed upstairs to read 'Bedtime for Baby Star' with Henry.

* * *

><p>JJ paused at the utterly adorable sight before her. Instead of Henry falling asleep in the middle of story time, Spence had. He was stretched out next to Henry on the bed, his head tipped towards Henry's on the bed. Henry was whispering softly as he flipped the pages of the book as he lay cuddled up next to his sleeping Uncle Spence.<p>

"Hey baby boy, did you wear Uncle Spence out?" JJ asked as she walked into the room and sat down on the other side of Henry's bed and next to the toddler.

"Mama shhhh" Henry whispered as he turned to look at Mommy. "Unca 'Pence sweepin'"

"I see that baby." JJ whispered. "Did you read the rest of the story to Uncle Spence?" she asked as she looked at the book in that lay in Henry's lap where he had been 'reading' it.

"Uh huh" Henry nodded.

"I'm sure Uncle Spence appreciated you reading to him Henry." JJ said softly as she picked the book up out of her son's lap and sat it on the night stand, exchanging it for 'Bedtime for Baby Star'.

"Are you ready for our story?" she asked as she snuggled in close to Henry.

Henry nodded as he yawned and then cuddle up to Mommy for their bedtime story. "Wut 'bout Unca 'Pence?" he asked and turned to look at Uncle Spence.

JJ smiled at the thoughtfulness of her baby boy. "We'll just let him sleep, okay?"

Henry nodded as he turned to look up at Mommy. "Him tiwed."

JJ leaned down to kiss Henry on the head. "Yeah he is baby," and then she began to read Henry their bedtime story.

* * *

><p>Spence blinked as he heard the now familiar words of 'Bedtime for Baby Star' as he woke up, but lay quietly listening to JJ read. He loved the sound of her voice. JJ's voice combined with the soft scent of baby shampoo in Henry's hair, where it lay on the pillow next to him gave him a sense of comfort that he hadn't known since he was a very small boy. It gave him a sense of family.<p>

JJ quietly closed the book and set it off to the side. She leaned down and kissed Henry on the forehead. "Goodnight baby boy." Then she stood up and turned on Henry's nightlight and turned off the lamp.

She debated with herself for a split second whether to wake Spence up or let him sleep. Then she made her decision as she reached out for a spare quilt from the back of the rocking chair still present in Henry's bedroom. She couldn't bring herself to remove it quite yet. There was still the occasional night where she rocked him to sleep.

Spence lay debating the best way to ease off of the bed without waking Henry as he felt the weight of a blanket being draped over him.

JJ leaned down and gently kissed Spence goodnight on the lips after covering him up. He looked too peaceful to wake up and she knew just how hard of a time he'd had with getting sleep lately.

"If you don't mind, I think I'd rather sleep with you. Henry kicks in his sleep sometimes." Spence murmured softly and opened his eyes as he felt JJ's lips leave his.

"Hey you" JJ replied softly as a grin crossed her face. "When did you wake up?" she whispered.

"About halfway through you reading 'Bedtime for Baby Star'. I didn't want to interrupt the story and I was pretty comfortable." Spence replied.

JJ nodded as she took Spence's hand in one hand, helping him to his feet and the quilt in the other hand. She set the quilt back in the rocking chair. She led Spence out of Henry's room and paused to pull the door most of the way shut. Then she led Spence across the hall to her bedroom.


	12. Chapter 12

Hey everybody sorry about the almost month long absence. Mere days after my last update, the drama surrounding 'M' rated stories began here on FFN. Then I was on vacation for two weeks... a girl needs to rest and recupperate her brain sometime.

I am happy to report that even though my stories here on FFN have been edited to be compliant, you can still read them as they were originally intended to be read. I'm also double posting going forward. I'll let you know when there are chapters containing ctirusy deliciousness that you need to be visit the other site to be able to read.

The link is:

www. thewriterscoffeeshop library / viewuser. php?uid= 60220

You guys know the drill, remove the spaces to use the link. The link is also up on my profile page.

I don't own Criminal Minds.

And now, without further adieu, I present chapter 12 and in case I didn't mention it... or you can't tell you need to go to the link about to read the full version of this chapter ;)

Happy reading and enjoy :D

* * *

><p>"So," she asked as she turned to face Spence and undid his tie after closing the bedroom door, "how are you?"<p>

"Better now" Spence replied as his fingers gripped his girlfriend's waist. "But the case… it was a rough one. The unsub turned out to be having visions and hallucinations… we gave the profile as him being a schizophrenic… I had a headache the whole case… JJ, I feel like I'm falling apart. I can't focus on the cases… I finally managed to get some sleep on the jet… but the case has me thinking… what if the doctors are right. What if there isn't anything physically wrong with me?" he asked his voice breaking with every word, at the very thought of his mind succumbing to a betrayal of itself.

"Baby," JJ said with tears in her eyes as she listened to Spence, heard his voice crack with emotion, and saw the terror in his eyes at the thought that someday he could be that unsub, plagued with voices, visions, and hallucinations all set on betraying who he was as a person, "we'll figure this out. One way or another, we'll figure this out. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere." She said as she wrapped her arms tightly around Spence's waist and ran her hands up and down his back.

"We'll get through this together, baby. I promise." JJ said as she leaned up to kiss him. "I know you slept on the jet… but you're still exhausted, so let's get you to bed." JJ said as she untucked his shirt and began to unbutton it.

Spence nodded his head and then rested his forehead on JJ's head at the comforting feel of JJ undressing him. Then he cleared his throat at the feel of JJ's nimble fingers on his belt buckle.

"_Well hello"_ JJ murmured and tipped her head back to kiss Spence as her fingers lowered the zipper of his pants and she felt his erection pressing against her fingers and cupped it in her hand.

Spence groaned at the feeling of JJ's fingers pressing against him and suddenly he wasn't so tired anymore. After all he'd had a nap on the jet and a nap while reading to Henry; that would hold him over for a while, right? "JJ" he whined, burying his face in her neck as she pulled her hand away from his pants.

"Spence, baby," JJ moaned as Spence buried his face in her neck. His hands settled on her hips, guiding her, as he walked her backwards towards the bed.

Spence groaned into JJ's neck as her hands slid up his torso and peeled his shirt down his shoulders and arms. His hands momentarily left his girlfriend's hip as he shook his arms free from his shirt sleeves. "Mm, JJ…" he groaned as his arms wrapped back around her, his hands settling on her lower back and sliding up underneath her t-shirt.

"Spence, god baby" JJ groaned. Her hands slid down into the back of her boyfriend's pants gripping his ass as she arched against him, her belly pressing into his groin.

Spence planted kisses along JJ's neck as his hands slid up her back, dragging the soft cotton of her t-shirt across the soft silkiness of her skin as his fingers trailed over the contours of her back. He paused as his hands reached the band and clasp of JJ's bra. His fingers lightly traced the lower edge of the satin and lace. Then he unclasped her bra, his fingers tracking over the newly exposed flesh of his girlfriend's back and shoulder blades briefly before he caught the material of JJ's bra in his grasp with the material of her t-shirt and continued inching his hands up her back. Then he lifted his head to be able to watch as he removed her shirt.

JJ winked at Spence as she removed her hands from his pants and lifted her arms over her head as he pulled her bra and t-shirt off over her head. She shook her head, freeing her hair from the neck of her t-shirt as it cleared her head. Then she wrapped her arms around her boyfriend's shoulders, enjoying the feeling of her breasts pressed against her boyfriend's naked chest.

Spence tossed her t-shirt and bra off to the side and raised a hand to cup JJ's jaw, his thumb traced her cheek as he looked down at the woman he loved, still in awe that he was allowed to touch her like this. "JJ, you are so beautiful." He whispered as his thumb continued to stroke across her cheek bone. "I love you." he said as he leaned down resting his forehead on JJ's.

"I love you too baby." JJ murmured in reply as she tipped her head back and captured Spence's lips in a kiss. She sucked on his bottom lip and pulled at it lightly with her teeth. Her hands slipped down from his shoulders and down the expanse of his back; her fingernails drug along the line of his spine. The tips of her fingers slid into the waistband of his boxers. Her thumbs stroked over his hip bones while her fingers gripped and rubbed his lower back.

Spence tipped his head as he deepened the kiss. His tongue traced JJ's teeth as it slipped in her mouth then he slipped his tongue along the sensitive skin on the roof of her mouth.

JJ lifted her hand and tangled her fingers in the hair at the nape of Spence's neck as their tongues tangled passionately. She gasped as Spence's hand slid down her back, across her ass, down her thigh to the back of her knee, and Spence hitched her thigh up on his hip and dipped her backwards over the bed and then dropped her. She giggled as she bounced on the bed.

Spence crawled onto the bed and hovered above her. He braced himself on one arm as he leaned over her. His free hand spanned her hip, tracing the waistband of her yoga pants where they rested low across her hips and belly. "Does that feel good?" Spence whispered as JJ squirmed under his touch.

"Yes" JJ moaned as Spence's thumb continued to trace the rim of her belly button in slow gentle circles causing her hips to twitch. JJ reached up and wrapped her arms around Spence pulling him down on top of her. "Hi" she murmured as she leaned up to kiss him while her hands skimmed down his sides and into the waistband of his open pants and dragged them off his hips along with his boxers.

Spence pulled out of the kiss as he felt JJ's fingernails scratching along his thighs while her hands slid back up to his hips. He leaned down and started kissing his way across her shoulder and then buried his face in her neck as her hand cupped him, skin against skin.

"JJ" Spence moaned into her neck as his hips thrust into her grip as he kicked his legs free of his pants and boxers. Once his legs were free, he rose up on his knees, his hands resting on JJ's hips. His thumbs traced the waistband of JJ's yoga pants while his fingers gripped her hips.

JJ moaned and bit her lip as her hips twitched and lifted off of the bed.

As JJ's hips rose off the bed, Spence hooked his fingers into JJ's pants and pulled down, his fingers lightly skimming along her hips and thighs, teasing her sensitive skin as he pulled the light cotton fabric slowly down her thighs. He tossed her yoga pants off to the side of the bed as he pulled them off past her feet, lowered her feet back to the bed, and lay down next to her.

JJ twisted onto her side and reached out with her foot, sliding it up Spence's calf as she wrapped an arm around him, sliding her hand across his hip and up his back as she moved closer and rubbed against him.

Spence's hand wrapped around his girlfriend's thigh as her toes trailed up his leg. He massaged her slim toned thigh as her toes crept ever higher, teasing the back of his knee. His hand slid higher on JJ's thigh and then he caught the bend of her knee in the crook of his elbow.

JJ gasped as the new angle completely exposed her to Spence and his hard length pressed against her as he rolled her onto her back.

Spence held JJ close as he rolled with her and then nuzzled into the silky soft skin of her neck, kissing his way from her collar bone to her just below her ear.

JJ moaned and arched her back, her hips bucked against Spence as he wiggled his hips where they were nestled against her exposed center.

* * *

><p>"You amaze me." Spence said as he rested his sweaty brow against JJ's as he gently lowered her leg from his chest to rest beside them, messaging it gently to avoid her getting a Charlie horse.<p>

JJ smiled widely at Spence and squeezed her internal muscles around Spence as he relaxed into the cradle of her thighs as they enjoyed the closeness of the moment. "No more than you amaze me baby." JJ said as she lifted her hand and brushed her boyfriend's sweaty bangs back from his brow. "How's your head feel?"

"No headache right now." Spence murmured as he leaned down to kiss her and shifted his hips, pressing into JJ further.

JJ's eyes went wide as she realized that the night was far from over. Then she smirked as she hooked her leg behind Spence's and flipped them over so that she was now on top. She grinned as she leaned down and kissed Spence preparing to start round two.

* * *

><p>JJ sank down next to Spence on the couch where he was sitting with a notepad and pen in hand. "What are you working on?"<p>

"Hm?" Spence murmured as he looked up at JJ. "Oh… Hotch let us know that Strauss ordered our assessments, so I'm trying to figure out what to say."

JJ winced, feeling for the team even though they'd all known that this was coming. "Why don't you just be honest about what you're feeling?" she asked.

Spence turned to look at his girlfriend with a confused look on his face. "How exactly do I do that when well…" he trailed off the rest of his statement about Emily not really being dead implied rather than blatantly stated.

JJ wrapped her arms around one of Spence's as she curled up next to him and rubbed her thumb across the backside of his hand. "Just share what you feel about Emily not being here… It's okay to feel things baby… So just talk to Hotch about what you're feeling. He'll understand."

Spence nodded and leaned down to kiss the top of JJ's head. Then he smiled as Henry stood up from where he was playing and walked over to stand in front of them.

"Unca 'pence you sad?" Henry asked as he leaned against Mommy and Uncle Spence's knees.

"A little bit buddy. I miss Emily." Spence said as he looked down at his godson.

"Oh" Henry nodded then he turned to look at Mommy. "I miss Aun' Emmy too." He said as he attempted to climb up into Mommy's lap.

"You do?" JJ asked as she lifted Henry up and sat him in her lap so that he could see Spence.

"Uh huh. Her nice. Why her has to goes away?" Henry asked innocently.

JJ drew a deep breath. She'd been hoping to avoid telling too much to Henry. She didn't want to confuse him by explaining that his Aunt Emily was dead and then her coming back later. God forbid anything should happen to any of them while Henry was still young, she didn't want him confused and thinking that people got to come back after they were dead. She took another deep breath.

"Henry, baby do you remember when you fell down and got an owie on your knee?" Mommy asked gently as she looked down at Henry and brushed his bangs back out of his face.

Henry nodded his little blonde head, remembering all too well when he'd slipped and fallen on the driveway and scrapped his knee.

"Do you remember how much it hurt?" Mommy asked.

"Uh huh. I cwy den you kiss it make it better Mama." Henry replied.

JJ smiled. "You're right. I did. And we put some medicine and a band-aide on it too right?"

Henry nodded again.

JJ ran her fingers through Henry's soft baby fine locks. "Baby, Aunt Emily got an owie but it was bigger than what a band-aide could fix so she had to go away." She explained, hoping that she was answering Henry's question but being vague enough that if he were to repeat anything that it would be passed off as being the explanation for a two year old.

"Aun' Emmy's Mama an Dada no kiss it make it better?" Henry asked innocently as he looked up at Mommy and Uncle Spence from beneath his bangs.

Spence swallowed a lump in his throat as he watched JJ attempt to navigate the landmine of questions that a two year old could ask about death when the person involved wasn't dead.

"Not this time baby." JJ replied sadly, not wanting to disrupt her young son's illusion that kisses from Mommy and Daddy could fix everything.

"Oh… Unca 'pence you magic her betters?" Henry asked as he looked at Spence.

"You want me to use magic to make Aunt Emily better?" Spence asked.

"Uh huh… you do it and Aun' Emmy tome home." Henry said nodding.

Spence swallowed thickly moved by Henry's faith in him as he twisted in his seat and wrapped an arm around JJ and Henry. "I wish I could buddy, but magic doesn't work like that…" he said as he glanced up and met JJ's eyes, "… but I can show you a couple other magic tricks that are pretty cool. Did you know Mommy has quarters in her ear?" he asked as he looked back at Henry.

Henry giggled and turned to look up at Mommy. "Mama you has quarters in you ears?" he asked.

"I don't think so Henry, but something tells me Uncle Spence is going to show us that I do."

"Okay, watch close okay Henry." Spence said as he looked at Henry and then winked at JJ. He reached up to JJ's ear and pulled a coin from behind it and held it out to Henry.

Henry's eyes grew wide. "Do adain Unca 'pence!"

"Well let's see here…" Spence said as he lifted his hand to Henry's ear. "Wow Henry… look at this." Spence said as he pulled four quarters in quick succession from behind Henry's ear.

Henry giggled as Uncle Spence dropped the coins in his hand. JJ smiled at Spence as he continued using magic to entertain Henry and distract them all from missing Emily.

* * *

><p>"Hey pretty boy, you okay?" Morgan asked as Reid descended the stairway from the mezzanine level after exiting Hotch's office.<p>

Reid cleared his throat in an attempt to mask the pent up emotions that he'd allowed to be unearthed in his assessment with Hotch. He'd taken JJ's advice and let Hotch know how he was feeling about losing Emily. She might not be dead, but they'd still lost her. "Yeah" Reid replied his voice cracking with emotion as he slipped behind his desk and into his seat.

Garcia smiled sadly at Reid from her seat on Morgan's old desk where he currently seated as they waited for everyone to finish up with their assessments. She could relate having had her assessment just prior to Reid's… although she'd refused to discuss her feelings about 'losing' Emily. Instead she'd preferred to discuss happy memories of times with Emily. She glanced over her shoulder at Morgan and smiled attempting to cheer up the sullen man.

Morgan was still insisting on carrying the burden of Emily's 'loss' on his shoulders alone. He vacillated between anger and guilt… he was glad that Emily was still alive, but he continued to wonder what would have happened if he'd been able to get there just a bit sooner… if they'd known from the get go just what Emily was involved in… He was working through his emotions, but it was going to take time.

Rossi stepped out of his office with a bottle of scotch in hand and walked through the bullpen. He paused to clap Morgan on the shoulder and nod at Reid. He smiled wanly at Garcia. "Why don't you all go ahead and get out of here for the day? Who knows when our next case will come in?"

Morgan nodded and then turned to look up at Garcia. "How about a drink baby girl?" he asked as he stood from the desk.

"I could definitely use a drink my chocolate god." Garcia said as she stood up from the desk. "I just need to put my babies to bed for the night and then I'm ready to go." She said as she headed back to her lair.

Morgan paused on his way back to his office to get his leather jacket. "How about you pretty boy? Up for a drink?"

Reid shook his head as he glanced down at his watch. "No, I think bedtime stories sounds like a much better idea."

"Not to mention bedtime with JJ after you read Henry stories." Morgan said with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

Reid blushed and Morgan laughed.

"Alright Reid, you're off the hook for tonight man, but we're going to have a team outing of some sort in the next week and your presence is expected. You can invite JJ once Garcia decides what we're all going to do." Morgan said with a smile.

"I'll let JJ know." Reid replied. "Have a good night."

"You too pretty boy." Morgan tossed over his shoulder from the top of the stairs as he headed for his office.

* * *

><p>A weary exhausted BAU team boarded the jet to head home from Tampa Bay Florida. The case weighed heavy on all of their thoughts. The case started with the urgency to catch the unsub who'd started the day by killing four men in a gun shop. Heartbreakingly, their unsub turned out to be a woman who'd lost her son a year ago to the day on his birthday.<p>

They all sank quietly into their seats each lost in their own thoughts as the jet sped down the runway and lifted off.

Morgan kept hearing Hotch's words to Shelley Chamberlain over and over again in his head.

"_Believe me everyone who tried to save him that day isn't going to forget. It's the day they failed. They'll ask themselves what they could have done. Could they have gotten here sooner? They'll heal, but it's going to take time. They'll move on, but they won't forget."_

And then Hotch was telling Shelley that she needed to stop blaming herself… that it wasn't her fault… and he couldn't help but feel that Hotch had been speaking right at him.

As he lifted his headphone over his head decided that Hotch was right. He had done everything he could… and spending time feeling guilty and angry was time that he wasn't focusing on how they could catch Doyle so Emily could come home.

Seaver sank into her seat and curled up, staring out the window, her thoughts racing. The more cases she saw, the more her black and white view of the world eroded. Ever since her father had been discovered for what he was she always envisioned that there were good guys and bad guys. Now she was realizing that while yes there were truly evil monsters in the world, that wasn't necessarily the story behind every unsub they chased down. Sometimes the unsub was a good person who'd experienced a tragedy and made bad decisions. Sometimes the course of a life turned on a decision made in one split second… one unrecoverable split second.

Then she felt someone sit down next to her. She turned and looked over her shoulder to find Dave sitting next to her and sent him a smile.

"How you holding up kiddo?" Dave asked as he looked at Ashley.

"I'm…okay" Ashley replied.

"You don't sound too sure about that." Dave said as he studied Ashley. "Rough couple of months huh?"

Ashley nodded.

"You know that I'm here if you need to talk, right?" Dave asked.

Ashley nodded again, and then paused for a moment. "We're going to catch him, right? Doyle… we're going to catch him so Emily can come home?"

Dave nodded. "We are… it's going to take some time. We need to wait until we know that Emily is safe before we pursue him… but we will find him."

Hotch sighed deeply as he sank back into his seat on the jet. His eyes wandered over the team where they each sat resting in their seats. He knew just how closely this case had hit to home for the team when he walked out of the restaurant and saw each of their faces. The raw emotion from listening to the open mike was written on their faces as he walked out the doors, but the quickly schooled their emotions behind masks of professionalism in order to finish the case.

It had been a double edged sword for him. Not only was he still just as raw as the team from 'losing' Emily, but the case also brought up his still slightly raw feelings over losing Haley. Looking at Shelley and telling her it wasn't her fault and that the first responders would always see it as the day they failed had brought him right back to racing toward the home he and Haley had shared together and getting there just moments too late. Only in convincing Shelley he had convinced himself… it wasn't his fault… and now he could finally let go of the guilt he'd carried with him for the last year and move on. He could work on fulfilling the promises he made to Haley in their last conversation. And with that thought, he closed his eyes and slept.

Spence sat looking out the window. He could remember exactly how it felt when JJ placed a newborn Henry in his arms and told him that she and Will wanted him to be the baby's godfather. With the way he felt about Henry as a godfather, he couldn't even begin to imagine how absolutely soul wrenching it would be as a parent to lose a child. As he stared out the window of the jet, he hoped he'd never have to find out.

* * *

><p>Spence was alone in the bullpen working on getting his after action report written out so that he could give it to Hotch before he left, when he felt a small body crash into his legs and then he heard it giggle. He set his pen down and looked down and smiled at the small blonde haired boy clinging onto his leg.<p>

"Hi Henry. What are you doing here?" Spence said as he lifted the boy up into his lap and then looked up to see JJ standing a ways away in the bullpen smiling at them.

"Henry and I are going to the park to feed the ducks and then for pizza and he wanted to know if Uncle Spence could come with us." JJ said as she walked up next to her boys where they were seated at Spence's desk.

"Wow you like the ducks Henry?" Spence asked as he looked down at his godson.

Henry's little blonde head bobbed up and down. "Uh huh an Mama 'tay dat if we bes kiet dat we maybe see da baby ducks."

Spence nodded. "Mommy's right. You probably will be able to see some baby ducks, but you need to be really quiet so that you don't scare them or their mommies."

Henry nodded. "We bes bery kiet den. You tome wit Unca 'pence?"

Spence glanced down at the completed report on his desk and picked up his pen and with a flourish, signed his name. "I sure can Henry. I just need to go give this to Uncle Hotch and then we can go. Are you and Mommy going to go visit Aunt Penelope and say hi?"

Henry shook his head. "We dood dat aweady. I tome wit you?"

"Okay" Spence replied as he stood up and settled Henry on his hip. "Let's go drop this off and then we can go to the park."

* * *

><p>"Okay Henry, let's sit on this bench right here." JJ said as she led Henry and Spence towards a bench.<p>

Henry walked in between Mommy and Uncle Spence holding both their hands as he looked up at Mommy. "But mama, da duckies over dere." He said as he nodded his head towards the large group of ducks and ducklings at the edge of the water.

"I know baby, but if we go any closer we'll scare them. We have to let them come to us." JJ explained as they stopped in front of the bench.

Spence lifted Henry up and sat him on the bench. Then he sat down next to him.

"Hewe duckie, duckie, duckie." Henry called from where he sat in between Mommy and Uncle Spence.

JJ bit her lip to keep from laughing. "Henry, baby the duckies aren't going to come if we call them. We need to feed them." She said as pulled a couple of loafs of bread out of her bag. She opened one of the bags and broke off a chunk, handing it to Spence.

Spence took the bread from JJ and leaned down to Henry. "Okay buddy, the ducks don't have teeth, so we need to break this up into bite size piece for them and then if we toss it out a ways from us, the ducks will come and eat it."

JJ and Spence helped Henry with tearing up the bread and then throwing it out in front of them for the ducks. Within minutes they were swarmed by ducks as the fed.

"Mama wook at all the duckies." Henry said as he looked up at Mommy.

"I see baby. Did you see the baby ducks?" she asked as she leaned down and pointed out several fuzzy baby ducks huddled around the mommy ducks.

"Uh huh" Henry said nodding his head as he looked where Mommy was pointing. "Mama why dey fuzzy?"

"I don't know baby. Spence?" JJ asked as she looked up at Spence over the top of Henry's head.

Spence turned to look at Henry and JJ. "Well buddy, you're wearing a jacket right?"

Henry nodded. "Uh huh"

"Why are you wearing a jacket?" Spence asked.

"Tause Mama tay I has to" Henry replied honestly with wide eyes.

JJ shook her head and smiled as she listened to Henry and Spence.

Spence chuckled. "You're right. Mommy does say you have to wear a jacket, but why do you suppose Mommy makes you wear your jacket?"

Henry shrugged. "I no know."

JJ laughed and reached over to smooth down Henry's hair. "It's still chilly outside baby boy. You'd get cold or sick if you didn't wear your jacket."

"Oh" Henry said. "I no wike dat."

"You're right getting cold or sick is no fun." Spence replied. "That's why the ducklings are fuzzy. They're covered in down that helps keep them warm when they're really little. Then when they get a little bit older they'll lose the fuzzy down that's like a jacket keeping them warm."

"Thanks Spence" JJ said as she smiled at Spence and then leaned over the top of Henry's head to kiss him.

"You're welcome. I… did Garcia tell you anything about our case when you visited her?" Spence asked.

"A little bit." JJ replied as she looked at Spence wondering what was bothering him.

Spence glanced down at Henry and then looked back up to meet JJ's eyes. "I know he isn't mine," Spence said softly as he held out a handful of bread crumbs for Henry to throw to the ducks while he maintained eye contact with JJ, "but, the thought of anything happening to him… I can't imagine what it would be like… but I felt for the unsub as soon as we found out she'd lost her child a year ago to the day on his birthday."

JJ's eyes moistened as she realized what it was about the case that had been bothering her boyfriend. "He might not share DNA with you" JJ answered softly as she ran her fingers through Henry's baby soft hair and smiled as he giggled while he threw bread crumbs to the ducks, "but he's yours in every way that matters baby. He's a lucky little boy. A child can never have too many people that love them."

"Mama?" Henry said as he tipped his head back to look at Mommy.

JJ cleared her throat. "Yeah baby baby?"

"We do det pissa now? I hunry." Henry replied.

"Sure we can go get pizza now." JJ said. "Let's finish feeding the ducks and then we can go." She said as she ripped up the last bit of the bread for Henry to throw to the ducks and held out her hand for him to feed the bread to the ducks.

Spence smiled as he watched Henry throw the last of the bread crumbs to the ducks and then he stood up.

JJ stood up as Henry finished tossing the last of the bread crumbs and then held his hand as he slid down off the bench. "Okay Henry let's go."

"Bye bye duckies." Henry called out waving to the ducks just before he took Uncle Spence's hand. "Mama an Unca Spence you twing me?" Henry asked as he looked back and forth between Mommy and Uncle Spence.

Spence looked at JJ in confusion. He understood what Henry was saying, but he didn't know what it meant.

JJ smiled as she glanced down at Henry. "Sure baby, just a second okay?"

"Uh huh" Henry nodded.

JJ leaned in close to Spence over the top of Henry's head. "He wants us to swing him from our hands. So he holds on and while we're walking he holds up his feet and we swing our arms forward just like a swing. Make sense?"

"Oh" Spence replied in realization. "Yeah, that makes sense."

"Good." JJ replied and then leaned in and kissed Spence with a quick peck. "Now let's go get you boys fed."

JJ and Spence walked away from the park bench with Henry swinging between them as they walked.

"Unca Spence?" Henry asked in between giggles as they made their way to the car.

"Yeah Henry?" Spence replied.

"You hunry?" the little boy asked.

"I am. What kind of pizza should we get?" Spence asked.

"teese" Henry replied.

Spence nodded. "Cheese pizza is pretty good. How about we get half cheese and half pepperoni since that is Mommy's favorite kind?"

Henry turned to look at Mommy. "Mama you wikes pepinimoni?"

JJ giggled and glanced at Spence trying to figure out how he knew that her favorite was pepperoni. "I do."

"Otay Unca 'pence. We gets 'teese an pepinimoni." Henry said with a nod of his head and then giggled as he swung through the air.

"How'd you know pepperoni was my favorite?" JJ asked softly as they continued on to the car.

Spence smiled. "Because before I was your boyfriend, I was your best friend for seven years. Isn't it my job to know what you like?"

JJ smiled. "Trust me baby, you do know what I like." She replied with a quirk of her eyebrow as they reached the car. "I love that, and I love you." she replied leaning over to give Spence a quick kiss as she opened the back door so Henry could climb into his car seat. She smiled at Spence as she pulled away and then leaned into the back seat of the car to help Henry get buckled into his car seat.


	13. Chapter 13

No, I didn't fall off the face of the Earth... it just feels like I did with how long it's been since the last update. Real life can be a real... well you guys have lives of your own - so you know what I'm talking about. Now that things appear to be setting down, hopefully we can get back into a routine with the update.

I asked if they'd just give me Criminal Minds. In a shocking turn of events, they said no. So, sadly, I still do not own Criminal Minds.

Happy reading and enjoy :D

* * *

><p>"It was unnecessary. There was too much blood and gore and guuuuuuuugh." Garcia said as they walked out of the movie theater's horror movie festival showing for that month.<p>

"Garcia, it's a slasher film. How do you do a slasher film without violence?" Reid asked as the group walked out across the entry area to the theater.

"You imply it." Garcia replied.

"Baby, the movie is called 'Slice 6'. What were you expecting?" Morgan asked.

"A refreshing beverage with a twist of comedy." Garcia replied as she walked along beside Morgan. "And don't think just because I was horrified at what I saw on the screen Goldilocks that I didn't see you and gorgeous gray matter totally making-out out of the corner of my eye." She said as she quirked an eyebrow at JJ who was walking arm in arm with Reid.

JJ laughed at Garcia as she rested her head against Spence's shoulder. Her arms wrapped around Spence's as their fingers tangled together. "What can I say Pen, it was more entertaining than what was on screen. Besides isn't that sort of the point of going to a horror movie? To get scared and be held close?"

"Well I was paying attention to the movie and I'm going to have nightmares for a week." Garcia moaned with a pouty expression on her face.

Spence smiled as he glanced down and met JJ's smiling eyes with his own.

"With everything we see and do on a daily basis; _that_ got to you?" Ashley joked as they continued their walk from the movie theater to the parking ramp.

"Listen noob, you may be all Sigourney Weaver ass kicking tough, which is awesome but the mystical mavens of innocence like myself, jump at things that go bump in the night." Garcia explained as she glanced down the line they were walking in to look at Ashley.

JJ snorted. "Innocence Pen, really?"

Garcia threw a sidelong glance JJ's way. "Things that go bump in the night aren't generally concerned about their existence on this earth being electronically eradicated forever and ever amen." She said with a quirk of her brow as she looked back at JJ.

JJ smiled at Garcia in understanding and nodded in understanding. They'd both been there before and that was something that after their years of history both working together and as friends that didn't need to be explained.

"Why are you worried? I'm sure Morgan will protect you." Reid teased, his voice cracking slightly. "As long as he's not jumping out of his chair like a pre-pubescent school girl." He said as he cast a grin at JJ and Ashley.

Morgan tipped his head back as he slightly rolled his eyes. "The only reason I jumped is because you guys woke me up." He replied as Garcia wrapped her arm around his.

"How could you sleep during that?" Garcia asked.

"Easy. You dragged me out after a twelve hour work day. For what?" Morgan asked as he turned to look at Reid over the top of Garcia's head. "You're telling me that girl didn't know the unsub was waiting for her upstairs? Come on now." He replied as he walked arm in arm with Garcia.

"Villian." Reid replied.

"What?" Morgan asked.

"In movies unsubs are called villains." Reid explained as the group continued to stroll towards the parking lot.

"My bad" Morgan replied.

* * *

><p>"Anybody want to get something to eat?" Morgan asked as they approached their cars in the parking lot.<p>

"Definitely" Garcia replied. "Ashley?" she asked looking at the youngest blonde.

Ashley looked around at the group and shrugged. "Sure".

"Jayje are you and junior G-man in?" Garcia said turning towards the couple in the groups midst.

JJ glanced at her watch. "Sorry Pen, we need to need to get home. It's a school night for the sitter." She said as she glanced up at Spence who nodded in agreement.

"Awww… well next time we'll totally do this on the weekend." Garcia replied. "Are we on for breakfast next Tuesday?"

"Wouldn't miss it." JJ responded with a smile as she stepped forward and hugged Pen goodbye for the night.

Ashley, Morgan, and Garcia watch as JJ pulled her car keys out of her purse and handed them to Spence. Then he opened the passenger side door for her and she slipped inside. He walked around to the driver's side and folded himself behind the wheel of JJ's car. They waved as they watched Reid drive off.

"Pretty boy is so getting lucky tonight." Morgan said with a chuckle as they watched JJ's car pull out of the parking lot.

Garcia grinned. "If I know my girl, probably more than once."

"Ewww" Ashley replied. "I don't need that image in my head. Thanks a lot."

Morgan and Garcia laughed as they turned to look at the rookie member of the team who was still getting used to the teasing and close nature of the group.

Now that Emily was… away for an indeterminate amount of time, Ashley felt most comfortable spending time with Rossi. Perhaps that was because their relationship filled the void in her life, the absence of a true father figure. She was still adjusting to what it felt like to be a part of something, to be included. She'd kept herself separate most of her life, always on the outside looking in, lest she made friends and then they find out just who and what her sperm donor was. She hadn't been able to call him her father, at least not since the day she watched Agent David Rossi lead him away in hand cuffs.

"So Chinese?" Morgan asked drawing Ashley out of her thoughts as he looked back and forth between the two beautiful blondes who stood on either side of him.

"Lucky bastard" A random stranger mumbled just barely audibly in Morgan's direction as he and his friends walked by the man standing talking with two blondes.

* * *

><p>JJ's mind wandered as Spence drove them home. She and Spence weren't normally ones for public displays of affection… but to be honest she'd wanted to distract herself from what was happening on screen in the movie. Leaning her head on Spence's shoulder had led to burying her face in his neck at some of the more gore filled moments of the movie. Then he'd wrapped his arm around her shoulder when she jumped. She kissed his neck and he'd turned from the movie screen to look down at her. She couldn't honestly tell you what exactly had happened for most of the movie after that as Spence's lips had found hers. Her fingers had tangled in the hair at the nape of his neck as she pulled him closer as his tongue begged entrance to her lips. The only reason she could tell anybody what happened in any of the rest of the movie was because Morgan had jumped and screamed like a girl, pulling them out of their own little universe and back into the surroundings of the movie theater.<p>

JJ squeezed her hand that held Spence's as she broke the comfortable silence that had surrounded them. "So do you really think that the best part of a horror movie is not knowing when the end is going to come?"

Spence glanced quickly at JJ and then returned his eyes to the road. "Well isn't the suspense of the unknown and the build-up sort of the best part?"

"Hmmm… so you're saying once the climax happens that it's all over?" JJ asked with a smirk on her face as she twisted in her seat, wondering how long it would take Spence to catch onto the double entendre.

"Not necessarily. A really well done film will have multiple plot points each with their own climax leading to a plot twist that you didn't see coming so that it culminates in one final climax to introduce the falling action of the film that then lead into the end of the movie." Spence explained.

JJ's grin grew on her face. "I couldn't agree more, but baby I don't think that just applies to movies." She replied with a laugh as she rested her hand on his thigh and trailed her fingernails briefly along the inseam of his pants and then once again grasped his hand in hers.

Spence's genius brain replayed their conversation in his head and then he turned to look at JJ with wide large eyes. "Why JJ, are you trying to seduce me?" he asked with a bit of humor in his voice as it cracked.

JJ laughed. "That depends. Do you want to be seduced?"

Spence grinned. "Very much so."

JJ grinned as she rested her cheek against the seat and she played with the fingers of his hand as she held it in hers. "So is my attempt at seducing you working?"

"Very much so." Spence replied again turning to look at JJ with a grin as he stopped at a stop sign. He shifted his legs, attempting to get more comfortable in his tightening pants.

"Good thing we're almost home then." She replied with a wink as she squeezed Spence's hand and shifted anxiously in her own seat.

* * *

><p>Hotch sighed as he entered the briefing room from speaking with Strauss about the team's assessments. He knew what a stickler Strauss was for protocol and the finer details of following policy; however, she seemed especially concerned that they follow the outlined policy for a team that had lost an agent in the field. He didn't remember her being this exacting with the grief assessment process in the months following Boston. Those thoughts would have to be pushed aside for now however; they had a case. He'd have to figure out the best way to avoid more assessments for the team later.<p>

"Let's get started" Hotch said as he rounded the doorway and headed to take a seat at the round table.

"Okay" Garcia said as she pointed the remote at the monitor. "Monica Shandley, Natalie Wallace, Amber Lasko" she said as three girls photos pulled up on the monitor. "Three college students killed in their off campus apartments in the last five days. Two were going to San Diego Coastal University; one was going to San Diego Tech."

"Well the unsub definitely has a type." Morgan said as he looked up at the photos of the three brunettes on the monitor. "They could all be related."

"Yeah, what he said." Garcia said as she prepared to give more details. "They're all in their early 20s, brunette, majoring in education and or child development."

* * *

><p>Hotch knocked on the door to Strauss' office. "You wanted to see me?"<p>

"Good job in San Diego." Strauss said as she pulled off her glasses while standing behind her desk.

"Thank you." Hotch answered solemnly, waiting for the other shoe to drop, as he was unused to compliments from his direct supervisor.

"Despite a challenging year, your team seems to be functioning surprisingly well." Strauss said in an understated manner as she prepared to tie up loose ends prior to her leave of absence.

Hotch gazed unwaveringly at Strauss, waiting whatever comment was coming next. "But?" he asked as she didn't continue.

"No, I agree with your assessment," she responded, gesturing to Agent Hotchner with the files in her hands, and then she turned to walk to the other side of the room where her briefcase sat on a side table, "and so does the director."

"Why, uh," Hotch paused, stumbling uncharacteristically over his words as he tucked his hands in his pockets, "Why the interest in the well-being of my team?" he asked as he pivoted on his heals to watch as Strauss stuff her files into her briefcase.

"The director has some concerns." Strauss said as she looked up at her subordinate. What she left unsaid is that the director's concerns were in regards to her and her drinking.

"What kind of concerns?" Hotch asked curious as well as concerned for what this could mean for his team.

Strauss swallowed thickly. "There's a chance that I might need your help and I want you to be in a position to assist." For all the grief she'd given Agent Hotchner over the years, she knew now, after everything he'd been through, that there was no one that she would trust more with her section of the bureau should she need to be away for an extended period of time.

Hotch studied Strauss with an analytical gaze as he sought evidence and attempted to determine just what it was that she wasn't saying. "What's going on?"

"I'm just dealing with a few things right now." Strauss replied as she worked on organizing things that were already organized in her briefcase so that she needn't meet her subordinate's gaze. He was after all a profiler. She worried about just what he would be able to see and read in her eyes.

"What is it?" Hotch asked.

Strauss took a deep breath and attempted to school her facial expression as she turned to look at Agent Hotchner, meeting his gaze. "I might have to be away for a few months." She glanced down, unable to bear maintaining eye contact with Agent Hotchner. "I'm not asking you to step away from your duties, but I might need you to supervise some departments." She said as she returned to organizing and filing items away in her briefcase.

Hotch couldn't be sure of what exactly was happening, but he hadn't missed the wavering breath Strauss had taken in just prior to turning to look at him. He hadn't missed her reluctance to maintain eye contact. "Whatever you need, of course." He replied softly.

Strauss gazed at him for a mere moment and then turned to grab her things. "I'll be available by phone."

Hotch swallowed. He couldn't say for certain just what he was witnessing, but he could certainly recognize a person struggling with something when he saw it. "Would you… do you want to talk about?" he asked, remembering all the times Prentiss had been there for him to talk to in the months during and after Foyet.

"So you can assess me?" Strauss asked as she met Hotch's gaze. After a long moment of them looking at each other, she picked up her briefcase. "I don't do that either." She replied referring to their phone conversation while the team had been in San Diego and his avoidance to having an assessment done. Then, she walked past Agent Hotchner out of her office.

* * *

><p>Spence rubbed his forehead as he slid his key into the lock on the door of JJ's townhouse. It'd been a long flight back from San Diego. He'd tried, but sleep hadn't come on the jet. He'd stayed at the BAU long enough to finish the case file. Now he was looking forward to spending some time with his girlfriend and godson.<p>

He was perplexed as he entered the house to the sound of silence. He glanced down at his watch as he hung up his messenger bag and jacket. It wasn't terribly late. He'd probably missed Henry going to bed, but given the lights on in the house, he assumed JJ was still up.

He entered the living room and paused, a smile hatching on his face as he leaned against the door jam and watched the scene before him while he stretched himself across the doorway. His feet rested against one side of the doorway, while his shoulder rested against the other.

JJ stood facing the couch folding clothes as she danced with her headphone of her iPod tucked in her ears. She was taking advantage of Henry being asleep to get some things done around the house. "Pretty, pretty please if you ever, ever feel like you're nothing, you're perfect to me." JJ sang along softly as she folded the clothes in the basket, her hips swaying in time with the music.

"Boy I think about every night and day" She sang, smiling as the next song came on and her head bobbed along to the beat as she put the folded clothes in the basket. Then she started dancing, her hips twitched in time with the music as the beat picked up. She closed her eyes, and raised her arms above her head, imagining Spence behind her as she rolled her hips and spun around. "I wouldn't want to have it any other way. I'm addicted and I just can't get enough."

JJ shrieked as her eyes opened to find Spence leaning against the doorway and pressed a hand to her chest. "How long have you been standing there?"

A smirk curled playfully along Spence's lips as he took in the blush rising on his girlfriend's cheeks. "Just a minute or so."

JJ smiled, having recovered from the surprise of Spence standing there, she walked over to him and took his hand and pulled him into the living room. "Were you enjoying yourself?" she asked as she stopped in the middle of the living room and wrapped her arms around his waist.

Spence looked down into JJ's eyes taking in the playfulness in her expression. "I was." He replied cautiously.

"You know, I can think of something you would enjoy even more." JJ replied, biting her lip as she looked up at Spence.

"What's that?" Spence asked.

"Dancing with me." JJ answered hopefully as she pulled one of her ear buds out and placed it in Spence's ear.

The beat and lyrics of The Black Eyed Peas invaded his ear. "JJ…" he began to protest.

JJ leaned up and brushed her lips against his other ear as her finger pressed against his lips, stopping whatever he was going to say next. "You should know that I was imagining dancing with you baby."

Spence swallowed, unsure of how to respond as JJ twisted in his arms so that her back was pressed against his chest.

JJ reached up and hit the rewind button on her iPod sending the current song back to the beginning. Her hands covered Spence's as she slid them down to rest on her hips. She guided one of his hands to rest low on her waist, leaving it covered with hers as she stretched her other arm up to rest her hand on the back of his neck, her fingers trailing along the collar of his shirt.

Spence groaned low in his throat as JJ started to move in time with the music. He'd never learned to dance, at least not like this. He could waltz; a proper gentleman knew these things his mother had told him as she taught him ballroom dancing. But the way JJ was moving against him, was far, far, far away from ballroom dancing.

JJ lost herself in the music as she rolled her hips back against her boyfriend. She turned her head to speak in Spence's ear as she let go of Spence's hand on her waist and moved her hand to grip Spence's thigh. "Just relax baby and move with the music."

"JJ" Spence moaned, burying his face in JJ blonde locks as he attempted to move his hips in time with JJ's and the music. He could feel her abs through the thin cotton of her t-shirt as she shimmied against him.

Spence had found the rhythm and was just starting to loosen up and enjoy dancing with JJ, when her cell phone rang.

JJ turned in Spence's arms to face him. She pulled the other ear bud out of her ear and the armband holding her iPod off her arm and handed them to Spence. "Hold that thought." She murmured against Spence's lips.

She walked across the room to the end table where her phone sat and glanced at the caller ID. "Jareau" she answered after seeing that it was a work call. She glanced at Spence as she stood with one hand on her waist listening to the caller on the other end.


	14. Chapter 14

Sorry for the delay - hopefully the fact that this is a super jam packed chapter and it's a nice long chapter makes up for the wait.

The full version of this chapter can be read at:

www. thewriterscoffeeshop library / ? uid=60220

There is one whole extra scene over there... plus maybe just a little bit more ;) You guys know the drill... just remove the spaces.

I still don't own Criminal Minds... I know... it bums me out too.

Happy reading and enjoy :D ;) :D

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><p>JJ moved up the aisle in the dark cabin of the plane and settled in next to Spence, careful not to wake him. She lifted up the blanket covering him and slid underneath it to curl up next to him, resting her head on a combination of his shoulder and a pillow as she thought about the last couple of days.<p>

_She walked across the room to the end table where her phone sat and glanced at the caller ID. "Jareau" she answered after seeing that it was a work call. She glanced at Spence as she stood with one hand on her waist listening to the caller on the other end. _

"_JJ, I'm sorry to bother you at home." Her boss said over the phone, "but I need you to come in tonight. It's extremely important."_

_JJ blinked, as she tried to think what the meeting could be in regards to, "Uh, just a second." She placed her hand over the phone. "Spence, I have to go into work for a little bit. Are you okay staying with Henry?" she asked. She knew of course that the answer would be yes, but common courtesy deemed that she still ask._

_Spence nodded, confusion crossing his face. "Of course JJ, I was staying anyway. We'll be fine."_

_JJ nodded, mouthed thank you to Spence, and blew him a kiss as she removed her hand from the receiver. "I'm on my way."_

_Knowing that time could be of the essence, JJ riffled through the laundry basket of clothes she'd just finished folding and pulled out a pair of jeans. She stripped off the lounge pants that she'd been wearing. _

_Spence stood frozen in place as he watched his girlfriend pull a quick change before heading off to whatever crisis awaited her at the Pentagon. _

_JJ smirked at the expression on Spence's face as she pulled her hair out of the neckline of the hoody she'd just pulled over her head. She walked over to Spence, leaned up on her tip toes and gave him a quick peck on the lips. "I'll be back as soon as I can, but just in case, don't wait up for me. You need to get some sleep baby." She said as she pulled away._

"_I'll try, but don't be surprised if I'm still awake when you get home." Spence said as he watched JJ slip her feet into a pair of sneakers._

_Spence was just getting out of the shower when his cell phone started to ring. He quickly wrapped a towel around his waist and headed into the bedroom where his phone sat on the nightstand. "Reid" he replied, answering quickly without checking the caller ID._

"_Hey" JJ's voice came over the phone. "Quick question for you: Are your passports up to date?" _

_Spence's brow furrowed as he tried to figure out what was going on. "You know my official passport is JJ. It has to be kept up to date in case we ever have to leave the country for a case. I just renewed my regular passport a few months ago." _

"_Okay, I just needed to be sure." JJ replied. "You have some time off saved up, right?"_

_The furrow in Spence's brow deepened. "Of course I do. JJ, what's going on?" he asked._

"_I promise I'll fill you in when I get home," JJ replied, "but for now, I need to make a couple other calls and line some things up." _

JJ was pulled out of her thoughts by Spence stirring next to her.

"Hey" Spence murmured in a scratchy, broken voice as he blinked his eyes and looked down at JJ, lifting his hand to brush a few stray hairs out of her face.

"Hey, how was your nap?" she whispered softly, not wanting to wake any of the passenger in the neighboring seats.

"Good. How long have we been in the air?" he asked.

"A few hours." JJ replied.

Spence groaned as he stretched his legs out as much as possible. "I wish we were on the jet. I never realized how nice it is to have access to a private jet until now."

JJ ran her hand up and down his chest. "It's been a long travel day. I'm sure Henry would have preferred being able to run around as opposed to having to sit in a seat the whole time too."

"Henry isn't 6'3" JJ." Spence moaned as he continued his attempt to stretch his legs.

"No, but he is an energetic little 2 year old who was very excited for his first plane flight." JJ said as she rested her hand on her boyfriend's left thigh just above the knee and worked her fingers into the muscle. "Does that help?" she asked as she rubbed his leg.

"Yeah" Spence replied with a sigh of relief. "Henry was pretty excited wasn't he?"

JJ smiled. "Yeah he was."

"_Mama wook at da pwane!" Henry said excitedly as he pointed out the window._

"_I see baby boy." JJ said with a smile as they headed for the row of seats next to the windows so Henry could watch the planes._

"_Hey buddy, look at that one." Spence said as he sat down in the seat next to JJ and pointed to a plane that was starting its take off down the runway._

"_Whoa" Henry gasped as the planes wheels left the ground then he turned to look at Uncle Spence. "How it do dat?"_

_Spence tipped his head for a moment. With a PHD in engineering, he could certainly explain what made a plane fly, but how could he best explain so that Henry would understand. He turned and looked out the window at where the plane they'd be taking sat connected to the jet way. "See how the plane has wings?" Spence asked._

"_Uh huh" Henry nodded his head._

"_What else has wings?" Spence asked with a smile as he looked down at where his smart little godson sat in his Mommy's lap._

_Henry got a thoughtful look on his face. "Duckies has wins" he replied._

"_Very good Henry! You're right duckies do have wings. How about the bird we were watching in the backyard the other day. Did it have wings?" Spence asked with a smile._

"_Uh huh he fwap dem weawwy fas!" Henry squeaked in an excited voice._

_Spence nodded, his face getting expressive as he got absorbed into teaching Henry about science. "You're right the bird we watched the other day was flapping his wings really fast. That's what birds have to do to get the air to move over their wings."_

"_Oh" Henry replied as if he understood what Uncle Spence was talking about. _

"_The air moving over the wings is what lets birds and planes fly." Spence explained. "And since planes can't flap their wings really fast like a bird, they have to drive down the runway as fast as they can."_

_JJ smiled as she glanced down at Henry to see him completely enraptured in Spence's mini-science lesson._

"_Den wut happen?" Henry asked._

"_Well the air sort splits in half where it meets the wing of the plane." Spence explained as he pointed out the window at their plane. "Some of the air goes over the top of the wing, and some of the air goes underneath the wing. The air that goes underneath the wing lifts the plane up."_

"_Coow" Henry replied just as the first group was called for boarding the plane._

_Henry's eyes grew wide at the loud sound of the engine as the plane picked up speed down the runway. His grip tightened on Mommy and Uncle Spence's hands who sat on either side of him in his excitement as he practically bounced in his seat. As he the plane lifted off the ground, he squealed in surprise and with absolute glee at the brief moment of weightlessness he felt._

_Mommy and Uncle Spence smiled down at him._

"_You liked that huh?" Mommy asked._

"_Uh huh" Henry replied. "We do it adain?" he asked, causing a hearty chuckle from not only Mommy and Uncle Spence, but also the adults surrounding him in the nearby seats._

_Eventually the seatbelt sign was turned off and JJ undid Henry's seatbelt, knowing that he was getting ancy from seating in one spot. "Come on baby boy, come sit with Mommy and we'll look out the window." She said as scooped Henry up and placed him in her lap facing the window. _

_Henry glanced back over his shoulder at where Uncle Spence was seated on the aisle. "Unca 'pence you wook out da window wit me an Mama?"_

_JJ moved her arm and lifted the armrest in between her seat and Henry's. "Yeah, come on Spence." She grinned. "Come and look out the window with Henry and me."_

_Spence shook his head as he reached down and unbuckled his seatbelt and then slid over into Henry's seat. He wrapped his arm around JJ and rested his chin on her shoulder as they all three looked out the window together._

"Do you think Henry was more excited about the plane ride or about seeing Daddy again?" JJ asked with a laugh as she thought about how happy the reunion between Will and Henry had been.

Henry had been a non-stop chatterbox as he told his Daddy about the flight. Will had listened in amusement. The excitement over seeing Daddy again had eased the separation between mother and son when it was time for JJ and Spence to head back to the New Orleans International airport from dropping Henry off with Will for the next leg of their trip.

JJ, of course, felt more secure about this trip knowing that Henry was safe and cared for staying with Will in New Orleans. She hoped that they wouldn't run into anything unexpected during the business portion of their trip, but to be honest she wasn't sure what to expect. They had to be prepared for anything. She suspected that was part of why her boss had sugested Spence coming with, what better cover story was there where they were going, than lovers taking a romantic trip?

"Mm" JJ moaned as she buried her face against Spence's chest and used the available space to get comfortable. "If we can sleep most of the rest of the flight, with the time change it will feel like sleeping in."

Spence nodded as he ran his fingers through the ends of JJ's hair. "A ten hour flight and a six hour time difference do tend to have that effect don't they?" he said as he leaned down and kissed the top of his girlfriend's head.

"Mm hm" JJ murmured sleepily, "but, the jet lag when we get back home is going to be horrible."

The rest of their flight passed quickly as JJ and Spence slept off and on, whispering quietly to each other when they were awake, so as not to wake their neighbors.

* * *

><p>As the plane touched down, they set about gathering their belonging and filling out the customs declaration form. As she filled in her form, her mind wander back to just a few days ago when her boss had called her at home, prompting this whole adventure.<p>

_JJ flashed her credentials at the security checkpoint as she entered the ring of the Pentagon where her office was located. She moved quickly down the hall, wanting to meet with her boss, do what needed to be done, and get home to Henry and Spence._

_She knocked on the door frame to her boss' office where he sat bent over some paperwork and then waited for him to glance up._

_At the sound of the knock at his open office door, JJ's boss turned to look. "JJ, come on in and have a seat." He said gesturing to the chairs on the opposite side of his desk. "I'm sorry to have pulled you away from your family this evening." He said as JJ seated herself in the chair and crossed her legs, her sneaker clad food dangling from beneath the frayed hem of her favorite pair of jeans._

"_Sir?" JJ questioned curiously as she tipped her head attempting to read the situation._

_Her boss steepled his hands and rested his fingertips against his lips as he gathered his thoughts. "I'm sure I don't have to remind you of how long it's been since Boston?" he asked, knowing full well that the women before him was aware of exactly how long it had been._

_JJ's brow crinkled in confusion. "No, sir."_

_Her boss nodded. "I've just been made aware that the…" Here he paused. Under normal circumstances he would use the word operative or perhaps asset; however, this was personal to JJ and sounded harsh even to his own ears so to speak, "person in question is well enough to travel."_

_JJ's eyebrows rose on her forehead. While she'd made it known that she would appreciate being kept apprised of the 'person in question's' health and status, she certainly hadn't expected for it to actually happen._

"_The documents and bank accounts have all been arranged." He said as he held up a sealed natural tone envelope. "I think due to the trauma and suddenness of the events in question, perhaps the person in question receiving their documents and information from a friendly face will help soften the blow." he replied with a smile, glad that for once he was in a position to soften the blow for an Agent who needed to go undercover by sending a friendly face to the meet with the documents for their new life. _

"_Sir, are you saying that…" JJ trailed off unsure of how to continue. From what she knew and had seen in her time at the Pentagon something like this was unheard of._

_JJ's boss smiled. "I hear Paris is lovely in the spring time. Perhaps you should take your boyfriend and make a week of it?" He paused in thought for a moment. "Since your cover for you and your boyfriend would be you going to Paris for a vacation, you can't enter the country using your official passport; you'll need to use your tourist passport. And since you're entering the country on a tourist passport, we can't have you carrying a diplomatic pouch. We have a diplomatic courier meet you in you in Paris. That is of course assuming that your boyfriend would be able to accompany you?"_

"_I um, would have to check sir." JJ stammered as her mind reeled at that fact that she and Spence could see Emily one more time before Emily disappeared into her undercover life until Doyle was found. She bit her lip to fight back a gasp as she realized that Spence would get an opportunity to say goodbye, or perhaps more appropriately see you later._

"JJ, beautiful, we need to get going. We're holding up everyone else." Spence murmured in her ear, distracting her from her thoughts.

"Oh, sorry, I got lost in my thoughts." JJ replied and then grabbed her purse off her seat, slinging it over her shoulder as she reached out and took her carryon bag from Spence.

"It's okay." Spence replied in understanding of how much must be on his girlfriend's mind. The last couple of days must have been a whirlwind for her.

"_Hey you" JJ said softly as she padded stocking foot into the living room, having just gotten home from the Pentagon at a little after midnight. "Couldn't sleep?" she asked as she took in the sight of her boyfriend in his sleepwear lounging on her couch as he watched CNN._

_Spence shook his head. "I tried, but my mind was just racing over whatever it was that you called about earlier."_

_JJ nodded and then yawned. "Henry slept the whole time?"_

_Spence nodded in reply. "Yeah, I checked on him a few times."_

_JJ smiled softly at the thought of how parental in nature Spence was becoming with Henry. Then she held out her hand to him. "Come on baby let's go to bed and I'll fill you in as much as I can on what's going on."_

"_So we get to see Emily?" Spence asked after JJ explained the reason for the call from her boss as well as the fact that she'd already spoken to Hotch and gotten the approval for him to have the time off. _

_JJ nodded, her chin rubbing against Spence's chest where it rested. "Yes, but we can't call her by name when we see her. We'll get to see her Spence, but only for a few minutes… if that. We pass her the documents and that's it. She'll leave and go undercover."_

_Spence slid his hand up and down, rubbing JJ's back. "Yeah, but we get to see her. We get to see that she's okay… and there's some comfort in that."_

_JJ nodded and then bit her lip. "You know that we can't really say that we're going to Paris to meet with Emily right? That a vacation has to be our cover… even with the team?"_

_Spence nodded. "Its part of pretending Emily really is dead."_

_JJ nodded and smiled sadly at Spence. "I wish we could tell them… maybe we can find a way to tell them without telling them. We'll figure it out later, especially since Pen is going to be pissed that we can't do our Tuesday breakfast. We're pretty much all set. I talked to Will about flying Henry down to visit him for the week… he didn't really ask any questions; he was too excited about an opportunity to spend time with Henry. All of our travel arrangements are made…" JJ trailed off as she yawned._

_Spence nodded. "You're right. We'll figure something out, but for now, we should get some sleep." Spence said as he reached over across JJ and turned off the bedside lamp. Now that they were leaving for Paris the day after tomorrow, there would be a lot to do tomorrow._

* * *

><p>By late morning local Paris time, JJ and Spence were strolling arm in arm down the Champs Elysees towards L'Arc de Triomphe. They stopped and had lunch at a small café before continuing on their walking tour of Paris. After lunch, they took a peaceful walk along the Seine, stopping to rest at the occasional bench as the enjoyed the romantic views. Mid-afternoon found them at Notre Dame Cathedral.<p>

"It's so amazing to see the sense of history surrounding us." Spence explained excitedly as they walked up to the cathedral and he pointed out the gargoyles on the roof. "Just think JJ. Napoleon had the Arc de Triomphe built. It houses France's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier for World War I. So much of what we've seen today has so much history. Construction was started on Notre Dame in 1163 and it wasn't completed until 1345. The average life expectancy was approximately fifty years. We're looking at a masterpiece that took almost four lifetimes to complete."

JJ stared in awe at the gothic beauty before her. At almost 200 years to complete, Spence was right; the Notre Dame had quite literally been the work of four lifetimes… and hundreds if not thousands of workers working towards a common goal. When was the last time anyone in the modern age could lay claim to such an accomplishment? The politicians and bureaucrats that she negotiated and dealt with on a daily basis more often than not couldn't agree on what to get for lunch, let alone commit to a plan that would be 200 years in the making.

"It's quite fortunate that Notre Dame was completed when it was." Spence mused. "The bubonic plague broke out all across Europe in 1348 and by the time it was over about a year later one third of the population was dead."

JJ studied Spence's face as he gazed at the ornate carvings, arched doorways, and flying buttresses while reminding her of her world history classes from high school and college.

"With the shortage of labor that was caused by the fall in population, it's a statistical probability that Notre Dame wouldn't have been completed if it wasn't finished prior to the Black Plague ravaging Europe." Spence said thoughtfully.

* * *

><p>'What they said about Paris in the springtime was very true' JJ thought as she stood on the highest platform of the Eiffel Tower wrapped in Spence's arms as they watched the sunset. She was glad for the light jacket she'd worn when they left the hotel as her purple silk scarf fluttered in the breeze. She smiled as she turned and pressed her cheek into Spence's purple scarf where it rested against his chest as she drew his arms tighter about herself.<p>

Spence kissed the top of JJ's head as she nestled more snuggly into his arms, and then smiled contentedly as he rested his forehead on the crown of JJ's head. He jumped slightly as a stranger walked up next to them and cleared his throat.

"Excuse me miss, but I believe you dropped this just over there." The man said as he held out thick sealed padded envelope.

JJ bit her lip to keep from smiling at the diplomatic courier who she knew quite well, having worked with him on a number of occasions now. She focused on keeping a neutral expression on her face. "Oh, thank you." she replied as she reached out and took the package from him and placed it in her bag.

"You're very welcome. Have a good night." He replied with a nod of his head and then turned to walk away, taking the elevator down from the platform.

JJ and Spence stood for a while longer, watching the sun sink below the horizon and city below them light up as far as they could see. JJ glanced down at her watch and then tipped her head back to look at Spence. "We need to get going baby."

Spence nodded, releasing JJ as she stepped out of his arms and took his hand. They turned and headed for the elevator. They had someone waiting to meet them just a few blocks away.

* * *

><p>Emily sat at an outdoor table at the café she'd been instructed to meet the contact at to collect the papers and documents she would for her time in hiding. She found herself unable to focus on the newspaper in her hands and unable to stomach the full cup of coffee that sat on the table next to her.<p>

All she wanted was to be able to go home, to be able to tell her friends that she was alive… not quite 100 percent well yet, but she was alive. Instead she was here in Paris preparing to… well she supposed you couldn't really say leave the life of Emily Prentiss behind. She'd already had to do that. She'd been informed of her own death when she woke up in Bethesda a little over a month ago. It was a surreal experience to read your own obituary in the newspaper. She couldn't move forward and she couldn't go back. Moving forward meant letting go of her old life and starting anew, and that wasn't something that she was prepared to do. She couldn't go back to her life as long as Doyle was in the wind. And where did that leave her? In limbo.

It was all she could do to fight back the surprise on her face and avoid jumping up to wrap her arms around the not one, but two familiar faces that approached the table where she sat as she lowered her newspaper.

As they approached the small café table, JJ slid into the chair opposite Emily and pulled her bag into her lap. She squeezed Spence's hand before releasing it to reach in her bag and pull out the envelope they were here to deliver.

As JJ pulled her hand free of his, Spence rested his hand on her back as he stood at her side. For the first time in six weeks, he looked at Emily sitting in front of him. He could see the toll the last few months had placed on her. She looked worn and exhausted. He supposed she was still healing. Massive trauma like she'd suffered could sometimes take months to recover from. Her hair different, but then she needed to change her appearance. Emily might be sitting alive and well right in front of him, but he still couldn't acknowledge that it was her. He couldn't hug her and tell her he'd missed her. He couldn't tell her he was glad that she'd survived. He realized in that moment that having the opportunity to say goodbye was sometimes just as painful as people just disappearing from your life… even if they said goodbye, the person you cared about would still be gone and there would still be an empty place in your life where they used to be.

Emily could feel Reid's penetrating gaze on her, as if she was under a microscope, as she focused on JJ.

"Passports from three different countries and a bank account in each one to keep you comfortable." JJ explained as she pulled the sealed packet of documents out of her bag and laid it on top of Emily's newspaper.

Emily looked sadly between JJ and Reid as she reached for and picked up the envelope. "Thank you" she said to JJ.

"Good luck." JJ replied softly with a nod of her head.

Emily nodded silently in response and then lifted her gaze to look at Reid. "I'm sorry." She said realizing now that Reid was standing in front of her, just what exactly she had decided to put her friends through by going off on her own after Doyle.

Spence nodded. "Good…" he paused unable to finish the word goodbye. It was too final. He'd see Emily again. He didn't know where and he didn't know when, but someday, hopefully sooner rather than later they'd find a way to catch Doyle and Emily would come home. "…luck. Be Safe." He finished, swallowing thickly, the emotion of the moment and the last several weeks catching up with him.

The woman formerly known as Emily Prentiss nodded and the stood up from her seat, tucked her free hand into her trench coat pocket, and turned and walked down Rue L'Universite in the seventh arrondissement of Paris towards the Eiffel Tower and her future as whichever one of the three identities in the sealed envelope she carried that she decided to be today.

For a brief moment JJ and Spence turned and watched Emily walk away, both of them realizing that this might be the last time they see her for quite some time. Both of them, however, silently gave thanks that Emily was still alive to be seen in the future. As Emily reached the middle of the street JJ turned to look up at Spence. "Are you okay?" she asked softly, taking his hand in hers and pulling him down close to her.

Spence nodded silently in response his chin brushing against her ear.

"You should sit down. We need to stay here for a little bit just to watch to make sure no one was following her." JJ murmured in his ear as she nodded at the now vacant chair across the table from her and then kissed him softly before he stood back up. "I love you."

"I love you too JJ." He responded, his voice breaking slightly as he sat down across from her and they held hands across the table, speaking softly to one another with their heads bent low together over the table, just like any other couple spending a romantic evening out in Paris.

* * *

><p>"Do we have everything?" JJ asked as she and Spence gathered their luggage and belongings in preparation to board their train as it came to a stop in front of them.<p>

Spence nodded. "We do and I've got our tickets." He replied, anticipating JJ's next question as he slipped his arm around her waist as they watched the train slow down to a stop in front of the platform.

JJ turned her head and smiled at Spence. Last night had been emotion filled for both of them. It had been hard to see Emily, one of their very best friends, again and not be able to acknowledge that they so much as knew her. She and Spence had both shed tears when they got back to their hotel room, so much so that they had basically cried themselves to sleep in each other's arms.

Dreariness had settled in over Paris by morning. The overcast skies threatened a drenching onslaught of rain at any moment, so they'd decided to spend their day inside at the Louvre enjoying the masterpieces housed there.

Now they stood on the train platform, preparing to board their night train to Nice. They were spending the next few days in the Cote D'Azur, or the French Riviera as most Americans knew it. Quite frankly, JJ couldn't wait to see Spence's face when he saw the bikini she'd packed. She'd have to remember to ask Pen to look up the best beaches to go to when she called to apologize about not being able to make it to their usual Tuesday breakfast this week tomorrow. She didn't want to interrupt any plans that Pen might have for the weekend.

* * *

><p>JJ smiled at Spence from her spot on the lower berth of their compartment of the sleeper car as he came out of the bathroom in his pajamas.<p>

"Oh, I see how it is" Spence joked as he returned her smile. "Since I'm taller I have to sleep in the top bunk."

JJ quirked an eyebrow at him, "Well, naturally. You wouldn't have nearly as far to fall as I do."

"I'd be falling sideways, so I'd fall just as far and you, plus I have a lot more to hit on the way down." Spence replied as he took in the top berth and the ladder that he would need to climb. His eyes grew as he contemplated the contortion that it might require to get up into bed.

JJ bit her lip to keep from laughing as she watched her boyfriend's face. "You know Spence, if you share with me you won't have to figure out how to get up in the top bunk," JJ said with a wink, "or worry about falling."

Spence grinned wryly, "Is that so?"

"Mm hm" JJ responded with a nod. "Don't worry baby I'll protect you from the big bad floor." JJ giggled.

Spence double checked the lock and chain on the door of their sleeping compartment and then shuffled his bare feet across the floor as he moved to join JJ in bed. He ducked his head as he sat on the edge and looked at JJ expecting her to move over to make room for him.

JJ patted the space between her and that wall. "How am I supposed to protect you from the floor if you sleep on the edge of the bed?" she teased.

Spence shook his head again and leaned across his girlfriend's body as he climbed further into the sleeping berth and the spot between her and the wall.

"Comfy?" she asked with a smile on her face as she looked down at him.

Spence nodded and then raised his hand to cover his mouth as he yawned.

"Good. Goodnight Spence." JJ murmured as she leaned down to kiss Spence goodnight. Then she scooted down in the sleeping berth and snuggled up against her boyfriend in their smaller than usual sleeping arrangements. She sighed and let her eyes drift shut as Spence wrapped his arm around her, pulling her closer to him.

* * *

><p>JJ moaned softy as she woke up. She blinked as she attempted to take in the area around her. It was dark and clearly the middle of the night still. It was pitch black and they were moving… That's right; they were on the night train to Nice in a sleeper car. Remembering where they were, she relaxed and became more aware of her surroundings. Spence was pressed up against her back and breathing softly in her ear. Then she noticed a slight hitch in his breathing and a soft moan escaped his lips brushing past the shell of her ear.<p>

Spence was having a lovely dream about spending time with JJ while they teased each other.

JJ twisted her head to look at Spence and was glad to see even though he was moaning that he appeared to still be sleeping peacefully. She hoped he was having sweet dreams. Then she gasped softly as his hand on her waist slid up under them hem of her t-shirt and began tracing light teasing patterns on her belly. She bit her lip as his hand continued to explore her stomach, not wanting to wake him up as he needed his sleep. He so rarely got a good night's sleep lately.

JJ closed her eyes, hoping that Spence's hand stopped soon. Sleep was now the last thing on her mind, but she was afraid that if she pulled Spence's hand away that he'd wake up. 'Fuck' she silently cursed as her boyfriend's lithe fingertips traced the edge of her pajama pants. She couldn't help but squirm in frustration as his fingers slipped inside her pajama pants.

Spence woke to the feeling of JJ wiggling against him. He blinked as his mind attempted to separate his bliss filled dream from reality. Then he realized that much like his dream, he arms were wrapped around his girlfriend and she was wiggling in his grasp, if not quite writhing like she had been in his dream. Then he realized where his hand was and let out a deep throaty moan as his fingers explored and tangled in her curls. "JJ, babe you're…. mmmmmm so warm and wet."

JJ's eyes snapped open at the realization that Spence was awake. "Sorry baaaaby" JJ squealed as Spence's fingers grazed a particularly sensitive spot. "I didn't…. oh god… didn't …. Oh…" JJ's tipped back, the crown of her head resting against her boyfriend's collar bone. "didn't want to mmmmm….. wake you up."

Spence chuckled as his nose teased the shell of his girlfriend's ear. "It's okay. I definitely wouldn't want to miss this."

"God baby….so good with your hands" JJ panted, twisting to bury her face in her boyfriend's neck.

Spence continued the lazy circles and random patterns that his fingers were drawing on JJ's sensitive flesh. "That's the reward for being in love with a magician," Spence whispered as he twisted his wrist, "we're very good with our hands." He leaned in capturing JJ's mouth with his as his fingers quickened their stoke.

"Ah" was all that JJ managed to gasp before Spence swallowed her cries of pleasure as she was overtaken by an orgasm, her back bowing and her pelvis pressing more firmly into her boyfriend's exploring hand.

Spence continued to stroke softly, bringing JJ down from her peak, watching as her eyelids fluttered and then opened revealing the deep blue pools that he loved so much. Then he slid his hand out of her pajama pants and rested his hand on her belly.

"Wow… that must have been some dream you were having." JJ said as she twisted and lay on her back instead of her side. She ran her hand up and down Spence's chest, allowing her fingers to trail slowly over the soft cotton of his t-shirt.

"It was…" Spence trailed off as JJ's fingers lightly trailed the waistband of his pajama pants, "JJ what… oooooohhh" he groaned as his girlfriend's hand slipped under the waistband and she wrapped her fingers around him.

"Shhh" JJ murmured as she pressed her lips to his neck.

Spence whined softly as his girlfriend multi-tasked. While her fingers stroked and cupped him, her lips, tongue, and teeth teased, sucked, and laved on his pulse point. Blood thundered in his ears as he panted to catch his breath.

JJ pulled her hand out of Spence's pajama pants and pressed her hands against his trembling abs, her finger nails lightly scratching as she drug her hands up his belly.

Spence struggled for a moment to raise his arms over his head in the tight confines of the lower sleeping berth as JJ pulled his t-shirt up his chest and over his head, throwing it behind her onto the floor of their compartment. Mere seconds later, JJ's t-shirt joined Spence's on the floor.

"Spence, baby….mmmm" JJ moaned, enjoying the feeling of Spence pressed close as he rolled on top of her, their naked chests pressed and rubbing against each other as they kissed, their make-out session heating up as their hands roamed each other's bodies.

Spence's hands settled on his girlfriend's hips, his fingers trailing under the waistband as he pushed down and guided her pajama pants down her firm tone thighs.

JJ lifted her hips and then pulled her legs free of her pajama pants once Spence had them pushed down to her knees. Her hands wrapped around his chest, under his arms, and slid down his back. She wiggled her hands under the waistband of his pants, cupping and squeezing his tight little backside as they necked and he pressed more firmly against her naked body.

Spence moaned and flexed his hips into JJ's thigh as her fingers kneaded and squeezed his posterior. "JJ, babe…. Oh god." He moaned as her fingernails lightly scratched him.

JJ giggled and nibbled her way playfully across his jawline to his chin as he lifted his head to look at her. "I think these are just in the way, don't you?" JJ whispered as pulled the waistband of his pants away from his waist by lifting her arms slightly, her hands still firmly gripping her boyfriend's very fine ass.

"uh huh" Spence grunted, lifting himself up on his forearms above JJ so that she had room to push down his pajama pants.

"Looks like someone else agrees too" JJ joked as she glanced down between them to where Spence's erection bobbed free from his pajama pants as she pushed them down.

JJ pushed Spence's pajama pants down as far as she could reach with her arms and then lifted her leg and used her foot to push them down the remainder of the way until Spence was able to kick his feet free.

"JJ…mmm….love you" Spence moaned as he lowered himself back into JJ's embrace and kissed her shoulder, trailing kisses across her collar bone and then up her neck as he buried his face in her golden mane of hair, inhaling deeply, his breath rushing past the shell of her ear, causing her to shiver. "Are you okay?"

"More than okay" JJ replied, turning her head to catch the deep brown of her boyfriend's eyes as she luxuriated in the feeling of them pressed together. Between Spence being gone on the team's last case, the rush to prepare for their trip, the actual traveling, and then meeting with Emily last night… it had been awhile since they'd had time alone together like this and not been too exhausted to enjoy it like they were now. "What?" she asked as she took in the expression on Spence's face.

"I was just wondering what you were thinking." He replied as he trailed the backs of his fingers down her arm and eliciting another small shiver from his girlfriend.

JJ gave him a beautiful smile as she ran her hands up and down his back while also shifting to press against his groin. "I was just thinking about you and me…. Together just like this… and how much I enjoy it. I love you."

Spence's face lit up as he smiled. "I love you too." He replied as he lowered his lips to JJ's. He moaned as she sucked on his lower lip. Then he traced the tip of his tongue along the crease of her lips, begging entrance to the sweet haven of her mouth.

JJ raised a hand to thread through the back of Spence's hair, gripping his head and holding him close as their tongues tangled in a passionate tango.

As they kissed Spence's hands roamed the soft silky landscape of his girlfriend's naked body. One hand paused to cup her breast and run his thumb over the hardened peak of her nipple, enjoying the low throaty moan of appreciation he received from JJ for his effort. His other hand slid down her side, pausing to caress her hip, and then moved on to the creamy supple skin of her thigh. He traced random patterns on her thigh as their kiss grew more heated and he shifted his hips to settle into the cradle of her thighs. He ran his fingers lightly down the inside of her thigh, knowing how sensitive she was there.

JJ's hips twitched involuntarily as Spence's erection brushed against the exposed flesh of her nether region. "Oh, Spence" she moaned in a needy manner. "Baby, please…"

Spence rested his forehead against JJ's looking in her eyes as he reached down and adjusted himself to line up with his girlfriend's entrance. He held her gaze with his as he pressed forward with his hips.

JJ's eyes searched the depths of Spence's gorgeous brown eyes, her fingers twitching and twisting through the soft locks on the back of his head as she felt him slide in every delicious inch.

After giving JJ a moment to adjust, Spence lifted his forehead from hers. "Are you okay?"

JJ nodded. The fingers of one hand continued to play with his hair, while her other hand gripped his bicep.

At JJ's nodded response, he lowered his head and kissed her again as he pulled out slowly. He kissed her chin as he entered her slowly again, and then swept a trail of feather lite kisses along her neck and collar bone as he set a tantalizingly slow pace.

JJ's fingers flexed at the back of Spence's head. As he sought and found her pert nipple with his lips, her back arched forward pressing her eager breasts closer.

Spence swirled his tongue wantonly around the bud, pausing occasionally to nuzzle and place random kisses and then he kissed his way across the valley in between JJ's breasts and showed his affection to her other breast.

JJ bucked her hips, attempting to speed up the rhythm; however, Spence was determined to draw out their coupling and maintained a slow languid pace as he continued to worship at the altar of his girlfriend's body. He hands stoked light teasing strokes over her skin. His lips continued to press soft, light kisses to her chest and breasts, and that combined with slow, hypnotic pace of his hips was taxing JJ's sanity.

Spence trained all of his focus and concentration on JJ's reaction as he slowly swiveled his hips, drawing out every motion for extreme pleasure. The sound of their heavy breathing was the only sound for several moments.

"Spence baby… please… harder… faster…." JJ panted as her internal muscles gripped him. She used her grip on his head to drag him up into a kiss tearing a gasp of surprise from his lips.

Spence buried his face in JJ's neck as he complied with her wishes. He groaned into her neck as she blew in his ear and nibbled on his earlobe.

JJ met Spence thrust for thrust, grinding against him, working to get the most out of each stroke as their bodies pressed together, carrying each other towards the peak.

Sensing that JJ was close, he slipped one hand between them while his other hand brushed her hair back from her face so he could see her beautiful blue eyes. He worked his thumb over her nub in rhythmic cycles in time with the thrusting of his hips. He watched in awe as JJ fell apart in his arms as she crested the rise of an orgasm.

He slowed his pace as he watched the flush spread across JJ's skin, giving her a moment to catch her breath. They kissed languidly and whispered I love yous as the next wave of emotion, hormones, and orgasm swelled between them. This time they crested the wave together. JJ's toes curled as she tossed her head back breathlessly. Spence's toes gripped the mattress and his back bowed as nature took over in its ageless dance causing his hips to twitch as they pressed as close as possible to JJ's.

Spence lay gasping for breath against JJ's shoulder as she ran her fingers through his hair, causing it to stick up at odd angles. Their hands caressed each other lovingly as they came down from their highs.

JJ smiled and pressed a kiss to Spence's forehead as he yawned. It was after all, still the middle of the night and she was glad he was going to be able to get some more sleep. She moaned "Nooooo" as he moved off of her, missing the comfortable warm weight on top of her as he moved beside her.

"JJ, I'll hurt you if I spend the rest of the night sleeping on top of you." he murmured sleepily.

JJ pouted as she turned to look at him. "Fine, but you owe me."

"Mm hm… whatever you want…" Spence replied in a sleepy tone as tangled his legs with his girlfriends and snuggled back up to her side.

JJ grinned. "I hope you know I'm going to hold you too that."

Spence nodded. Then, he fumbled behind him for the blankets they'd thrown off a little while ago and covered them up and then wrapped his arms around her, pausing to kiss her and tell her he loved her. Then he drifted off to sleep for a second time that night.

JJ watched the peaceful expression on Spence's face as he slept for a few moments, then she too closed her eyes and allowed sleep to come. She was however, glad that she'd set the alarm on her phone so that they could be up and ready in plenty of time before the train reached Nice.

* * *

><p>"Thank you for calling the lair of technical omnipotence, home to eighth wonder of the world, Penelope Garcia. Let me count the ways to dazzle you." Garcia said as sat her large cup of deliciously brewed and mixed to perfection coffee down on her desk as she answered her phone.<p>

The screens in front of her spoke of more horror going on in Lake Worth North Carolina than her cheerful blue sweater and chipper yellow dress could fend off. What could possibly cause a young girl in the age group of this victim to plunge off a roadside cliff? The sick feeling in her stomach told her that they'd all find out more than they could possibly want to know.

Then she glanced at the caller ID on her phone and notice it was none other than Goldilocks. "Peaches tell me that you too, are taking some time off, and that you've sequestered yourself and gorgeous gray matter away from the world so that you can spend some time doing deliciously decadent things to each other." Pen said into the phone as she twirled a purple feather laden pen between her fingers at the thought of her favorite couple spending some quality time together. "Ooooo promise that you'll give me all the carnally pleasing dets tomorrow over breakfast."

JJ laughed and shook her head, then lifted the hand that was holding Spence's as they strolled through Nice to look at her watch, and then did the mental math to convert from local time in Nice to local time in Quantico. "Pen, its only 7:30 am on Monday morning. How many cups of coffee have you had so far this morning?" JJ asked her eyes twinkling with humor as she turned to look at Spence.

"I'm still on my first cup, granted it's a large cup, but don't think you distracted me into forgetting about asking for details tomorrow peaches." Pen said playfully.

"Actually, that's what I called about. I won't be able to do breakfast tomorrow." JJ replied.

"Oooo what's got you all tied up tomorrow? Oh! Please tell me that being tied up is literal. You're living out that fantasy with the handcuffs right?" Garcia said conspiratorially into the phone.

"Garcia!" JJ admonished and then blushed as she glanced at Spence and then away again. Damn the fact that she and Emily had once played truth or dare with one Penelope Garcia on a girls night not too long ago. "No… I… we're in France for a few more days, so I can't really do breakfast tomorrow, but…"

"Wait, hold up buttercup. Reid spirited you away to France for a romantic vacation? That's why he's taking time off? Very nice... and I still want details." Pen replied with a wiggle of her eyebrows.

"Actually, you could kind of say that I spirited him away." JJ said as she winked at Spence and squeezed his hand. "And I'm not giving you details. You'd share with Morgan." JJ giggled as Spence mouthed 'thank you' at her.

"Aww…. You're no fun… no fun at all." Pen pouted.

"What do you need details from me for? You have Kevin." JJ replied.

"My Kevie is a sweetie... but there is just a certain thrill to be hard from girl talk. You know?"

JJ smiled as she remembered some of the girls' nights and girl talk from over the year of her friendship with Pen in both lives. "Yeah, I do Pen... but there are some things that you just don't share." JJ said and then mouthed 'I love you' at Spence.

Spence smiled and leaned in and kissed JJ on the cheek and then whispered "I love you too." in her ear.

Pen sighed. "Okay… but you do realize sometime, someday, someway, I will eventually get at least a smidgeon of details out of you Goldilocks. But for now I shall cease and desist. So what do you and brainy lover boy have planned for the next few days?"

"We're spending the rest of our time here on the French Riviera so we'll probably spend some time at the beach and maybe go to the Monte Carlo?" JJ said in a questioning voice as she turned to look up at Spence. She smiled as she saw Spence's face light up at the thought of gambling at the world famous casino.

"The beach you say?" Pen grinned as she held back her maniacal laughter. "That sounds like a lovely way to spend a day. Have you picked out which one you're going to go to?"

"No… I just planned on asking the front desk of the hotel which was the best and safest." JJ replied.

"Oh, mon amie, allow my fingers to do the walking for you." Pen replied with an evil grin on her face.

* * *

><p>JJ laughed as she followed Spence down the path to the beach. "I promise I brought sun screen. I'll make sure to reapply for you as much as you need. You won't burn." She tugged playfully on his hand.<p>

"Eeep!" Spence squealed, dropping the blanket and towels that he was carrying and covering his eyes with his hand as he stopped in the middle of the path.

"Oooomph" the air rushed out of JJ's lungs as she ran into Spence's back where he stopped short on the path.

"JJ… I um… hope you have an awful lot of sunscreen packed in your bag." He said as he peeked out from between his fingers.

"Baby, what are you talking about?" JJ asked as she put her hands on his waist to regain her balance and peeked around his side. "Oh my!" JJ exclaimed in surprise. There, before them on the beach was every variety of shape and size of male and female anatomy on display au natural. "Pen is not allowed to pick date venues for us anymore." JJ said as she buried her face in Spence's back.

"I agree." Spence replied as bent over with his eyes still covered and fumbled to pick up the blanket and towels that he'd dropped. "So, erm... back to the beach at the hotel?" he asked as he turned around, opening his eyes once he was facing his girlfriend.

JJ nodded and turned around, leading Spence back the way they had come on the path.

* * *

><p>They'd gotten back to the hotel and decided to just use the pool instead of chancing it with another beach. JJ and Spence had taken turns slathering each other down with sun screen. Now JJ was soaking up some Mediterranean sun as Spence took a dip in the pool to cool off.<p>

"Baby, your cell phone's ringing." JJ called out to him as he neared the end of the pool where their lounge chairs were located. JJ enjoyed not only the view of her boyfriend climbing out of the pool and the way it accentuated the lean muscle of his frame, but also the way that even though his swim trunks covered far more than the speedos and banana hammocks that most of the other men at the pool were wearing, Spence was still getting checked out by several of the women in the area.

Spence crossed the pool deck to their lounge chairs in a few long strides and picked up a towel and quickly dried his face and hands as JJ held his cell phone out to him. "Reid" he answered.

"Hey pretty boy!" Morgan's voice came across the phone. "Havin' a good time off with your pretty girl?"

"Hey Morgan. I know you didn't just call me to see how my time off is. What's up man?"

"I just need to bounce some ideas of you for this case man…" Morgan said as he started to fill Reid in on the case in Lake Worth and everything that they had so far for evidence.

"It sounds like somebody's framing Talbot." Reid said after hearing all the details Morgan had.

Morgan nodded on the other end of the phone. "That's what I thought too. He's too smart to just leave evidence lyin' around. Thanks for listening to me kid… and enjoy your time off man. Live a little and have some fun… you've earned it. You deserve it and hopefully it helps your headaches."

"Thanks man. See you in a few days." Reid said as he hung up the phone.

"Sounds like a bad one." JJ said as she sat up and looked at Spence with her arms resting on her knees.

"They're all bad ones, JJ." Spence sighed as he looked up at JJ.

"I know baby." JJ said as she reached across the gap between their lounge chairs and rested her hand on his. "You know that nobody blames you for not being there to help out the team right?"

Spence glanced up at her with wide eyes. "How did you…"

"Because I know you baby." JJ said softly. "And nobody thinks any less of you for taking time off while the rest of the team is working." She paused giving him a moment to let that sink in. "I don't know about you, but I think I've had enough sun for right now. How about we go shower, change, and get something to eat?"

Spence nodded and helped JJ pack up their things. Then he held her bag for her while she tied her sarong back around her waist.

* * *

><p>JJ smiled and paused to lean up to kiss Spence as he opened the door of their rental car for her. They'd spent the evening out in Monaco. They'd gone for dinner and then much to her amusement; she got to watch her boyfriend break the bank at the Monte Carlo casino.<p>

Spence headed around the hood of the car, pausing to tip the valet before he climbed back in the car.

"Spence?" JJ asked as she turned in her seat to look at him.

"Yeah?" Spence asked keeping his eyes on the road as he edged the car into traffic and headed for Nice.

"Are you going to tell me, now that you broke the bank at the Monte Carlo, why you were so excited to gamble? We can go to the casino when we go visit your Mom if you want." JJ said as she rested her head against the seat.

Spence smiled and glanced at JJ. "Actually, we can't. I've been banned from the casinos in Las Vegas, Laughlin, and Pahrump for counting cards."

JJ laughed. "Of course you have, although I can see why. I'm pretty sure that the Monte Carlo is glad you aren't local baby."

* * *

><p>JJ sagged tiredly against Spence as she rang Will's doorbell. She'd been right; the jet lag on the way home did suck. Then she smiled… it was totally worth it though, not only for the time away, but also to see Emily and know that she was well on her way back to being healthy.<p>

"Tired?" Spence murmured as he rubbed her back.

"Yeah, but I'm excited to see Henry again, I really missed him." JJ replied.

"Me too" Spence replied. "It was really nice of Will to offer to let us stay here for the night before our flight home tomorrow too. What do you suppose that means?"

"I'm hoping it means that he's moved on." JJ replied softly at the sound of approaching footsteps on the other side of the door. If she wasn't mistaken, they sounded distinctly like high heels.

JJ and Spence looked up as the front door opened.

"No…" Spence murmured.

"…freakin…'" JJ uttered.

"…way!" finished a female voice from the doorway.


	15. Chapter 15

Okay here's chapter 15 - chapter 16 is in the works and will hopefully be out a bit later this week...

I don't own Criminal Minds.

Happy reading and enjoy :D

* * *

><p>"JJ, Reid? What are you doing here?" Elle Greenaway asked as she stood in her boyfriend's doorway, having just answered the door.<p>

"What are we doing here? I'm here to pick up Henry. What are you doing here?" JJ asked in confusion and shock at seeing Elle again so unexpectedly.

"Wait…you're the ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend?" Elle as she blinked.

"Mama, Mama, Mama, Mama!" Henry screeched excitedly at hearing Mommy's voice at the door as he ran to the door.

"Hey, baby boy!" JJ responded with a chuckle as she knelt down to catch her naked wet son as he threw himself into her arms. "Did you have fun with Daddy this week?" she whispered in Henry's ear, running her fingers through his baby fine blonde locks as he wrapped his arms around her neck.

Henry nodded, burying his face in Mommy's neck. "I miss you Mama." He whispered just loud enough for Mommy to hear.

"I missed you too baby… I missed you too." JJ whispered in Henry's ear as she stood back up with the fresh from the bath two year old in her arms. "But I think we should get you dried off and in some pajamas before you get cold."

"Henry, you little jumpin' bean… where did you go?" Will's voice echoed through the house as he came down the stairs with a towel in one hand and pajamas for Henry in the other. "Oh…" he trailed off at seeing his ex-girlfriend holding their son while standing next to her new boyfriend and standing in front of his new girlfriend. 'Fuck' was the only thought that his mind could process at the sight before him as he cleared his throat. He knew, of course, that eventually he would need to inform JJ that he'd met someone else, but he thought he'd had a few more weeks until he moved back to DC. "I thought Henry and I were supposed to pick you up at the airport?" he asked as he stepped up beside Elle and handed the towel and pajamas to JJ.

"Our flight got in a little early, so we thought it would just be easier to catch a cab." Reid replied with a shrug as he eyed Elle curiously. He wasn't quite sure how he felt about this development. Elle had left the team behind years ago… at first he'd been hurt by the abandonment by a team member… but looking back on it now, after his own ordeal and seeing what had happened to both Hotch and Emily at the hands of unsubs… he knew that Elle had come back to soon. They should have learned from what happened in Boston and that she needed time… but she'd insisted she'd been ready to come back… and really who could ever judge how much time was enough after a trauma in the line of duty?

Elle looked awkwardly between Will, Reid, and JJ and then she glanced at Henry who was starting to shiver in JJ's arms. "Why don't you come inside?" She said as she stepped back from the doorway, clearing the way for JJ and Reid to enter the house as she backed up against Will's chest.

JJ glanced at Spence, checking to make sure he was doing okay with seeing Elle again for the first time in years, as she stepped over the threshold and into Will's childhood home. She took in just how different it looked than it did the last and only other time she'd seen it. "Will," she said as she turned to look from the living room to Will as she dropped Henry's pajamas over the arm of the couch and then sat down with Henry in her lap as she wrapped him in the towel and dried him off. She pressed a kiss to the top of Henry's head, enjoying the freshly bathed baby shampoo scent in her son's hair as she gazed up at her ex-boyfriend. "This place looks amazing. You guys have done a lot of work. If I hadn't seen it before, I'd have a hard time believing that it had been almost completely destroyed

Will nodded as he helped Spencer carry his and JJ's luggage into the living room and left it at the foot of the stairs for now. "Thanks. Yeah, the guys and I stripped it down to the studs in some spots. It was a lot of work, but I just didn't have the heart to completely tear down the house I grew up in you know? I can still remember my Momma bakin' cookies in the kitchen and my Daddy workin' at his desk all hunched over a case late at night." Will said fondly. "My Daddy taught me how to play baseball in the backyard… and my Momma welcomed me home from my first day of school through that door." He said smiling fondly as he turned to look at the front door. "So of course I had to save this house… even though I'm not keeping it… I wanted the place all those memories were created to live on."

Elle rubbed her hand across Will's back as he remembered his parents. In the just over a month they'd been dating they'd grown very close. They'd bonded over having been the children of police officers, the loss of their fathers, as well as they're love of spicy food and passionate natures. "Are you okay babe?" Elle whispered just loud enough for Will to hear.

Will nodded and then glanced at JJ who now sat on the couch dressing Henry while he babbled to Spencer about all the fun he'd had with Daddy. JJ and Spencer appeared to be giving him and Elle a moment to themselves. Will cleared his throat, hoping he could break the awkwardness that had settled over the group. "Where are my manners?" Will asked. "My Momma would skin my alive… JJ, Spencer, this is Elle Greenaway my…" Will started.

"We know" JJ said cutting Will off as she cast a grin at Elle. She hadn't realized until now and seeing Elle again, how much she had missed her.

"Well of course… I mean you introduced yourselves when she opened the door… I … we just … I planned on letting you know when I got settled back in DC… and I just…" Will rambled as he realized that of course Elle, JJ and Spencer would have introduced themselves at the door.

Elle shook her head. "No, babe, I knew Reid and JJ before I even opened the door and saw them standing on the other side."

"Huh?" Will asked in confusion as he glanced between Elle and JJ, trying to figure out what was going on.

"Apparently you have a thing for FBI Agents with a history in the BAU." JJ said with a grin as she attempted to lighten the mood and let Will know that she didn't have a problem with him having moved on. Certainly not with Elle… she knew they'd be good for each other, after all, she'd seen that first hand.

"Wait… you mean y'all used to work together?" Will asked looking back and forth between the mother of his child and ex-girlfriend and his current girlfriend.

Elle grinned. "Yes"

Will shook his head and laughed. "What are the odds?"

Henry squirmed in his Mommy's lap and tapped her arm to get her attention. "Mama you tome meet Sunny?"

JJ looked down at Henry trying to figure out who he was talking about and then realizing she had no idea who Henry was talking about she looked up at Will the question of whom their son was talking about in her eyes.

Will squirmed a bit, realizing that as happy as his decision had made Henry… perhaps he should have waited for JJ's input. He hadn't been able to help it though… and really he'd been just as eager as Henry. Elle had taken a lot of pleasure in teasing him about being an adorable little boy just like his son. "Uh, well… you see… uh…"

JJ quirked an eyebrow at Will's stammering and looked down at Henry. "Henry, baby, who's Sunny?"

"My puppy!" Henry answered gleefully throwing his hands up in the air.

JJ's eyes narrowed as she looked up at Will. They'd discussed this on more than one occasion and every time Will had brought up getting a puppy for Henry, she'd said no. Of course, she'd said Henry was too young, they both worked and didn't have time for a baby and a puppy, and any number of other excuses that she'd been able to think of… but the truth of it was that she'd never conquered her fear of dogs after being attacked in Hankel's shed all those years ago.

She'd never told Will about having had vicious woman eating dogs jump out of the dark at her, and while they were attacking her as well, having to shoot them. Thinking about it now, she realized that perhaps that should have been one of the many signs that she and Will were never going to work… she'd never let him in… she'd never even told him about her fear of dogs… but now watching him with Elle and thinking to the other Will and Elle, she realized that he'd never let her in as much as he had Elle either. "You got him a dog?" JJ asked trying to control her anger and hurt that Will had unilaterally made a decision regarding their son.

"No, I got him puppy. Every kid should have a puppy." Will said as his southern charm grin grew across his face.

"A puppy eventually grows into a dog." JJ responded humorlessly.

Spence winced at the tone in JJ's voice, realizing just what it was about dogs that bothered JJ. He wrapped his arm around her waist and rubbed her side attempting to calm and comfort her.

JJ shot a grateful look at Spence and then turned look back at Will waiting for him explain himself.

Will however was saved by the excited two year old sitting in his Mommy's lap. "Mama… tome on…" Henry said as he squirmed out of her lap and then stood in front of her pulling on her hands.

JJ sighed and knew that she had to wait until after Henry was in bed to have the discussion with Will. Then she realized that they were co-parenting Henry, but they now had separate households… the puppy would naturally just live at Will's house. With that thought in mind, she realized that she could hold it together for Henry long enough to meet his and Will's new puppy, and she stood up taking Henry's hand and followed him into the kitchen.

Will followed cautiously behind them, knowing that he needed to talk to JJ about this. He realized now that they needed to discuss not only this, but also how they handled decisions affecting Henry going forward… just because they weren't together anymore didn't mean that they shouldn't still parent together and work together to decide what was best for him. "So what do you really have against dogs?" he asked as he followed Henry and JJ into the kitchen.

Elle turned a questioning glance towards Reid from watching Will follow JJ and Henry into the other room. "Why doesn't JJ like dogs? I would have thought JJ would be the type of person to love animals?"

Reid took a deep breath and tipped his head to the side. "There was a case not too long after you…" here he trailed off for a moment.

Elle flinched at the pain that crossed Reid's face at her leaving the team the way that she had. The problem with being in the middle of a crisis was that you rarely thought about how what you were doing affected anyone else. You were too wrapped up in getting out of crisis mode… there hadn't really a whole lot of thought actually; it was more instinct that had carried her through those dark days.

Reid cleared his throat. "…left. JJ and I went out to interview a potential witness in a case… turns out he was the unsub… we'd just seen a video of his dogs eviscerating a victim… and then JJ had to deal with the dogs… so you can see why she maybe wouldn't like dogs." Reid said his head down, staring at his hands as he remembered that fatefully night in Georgia.

"What about you Reid… you don't seem as bothered by the thought of a dog as JJ…" Elle noted, wondering what it was that was bothering Reid as he remembered whatever case it was he was talking about.

Reid nodded and then looked up at Elle. A slight smile crossed his face. "Surely you remember 'The Reid Effect'?" he asked.

Elle shook her head with a smile as she remembered all the teasing that Reid had taken from Morgan and herself over her time with the team. "It's more than that mijo… and to be honest I would have to say after seeing you interact with Henry that 'The Reid Effect' is over, at least with children."

Reid nodded. "Well, when it comes to dogs, 'The Reid Effect' is still in effect… JJ and I split up that night on the case… so I wasn't there when she was attacked by the dogs…" Reid replied looking back down as his hands.

Elle might not be with the BAU any longer, but that certainly didn't mean that she'd lost her skills as a profiler. "Reid, what is it? What happened to you that night?"

Reid shook himself out of the memories that he'd come to terms with a long time ago and looked back up at Elle. "I was caught off guard and abducted by the unsub and held and tortured by him."

Elle's eyes went wide as she considered the horror that the team must have gone through everyone at having the little brother of the team abducted. "I'm sorry I wasn't there…." Elle replied, not knowing how else to respond. She'd been shot in her own home… but Reid, Reid had been abducted and tortured and who knows what else, and yet he was still with the team. A curious part of her wondered just what it was that had given him the strength to come out okay from his ordeal while she had shattered from hers.

Reid shrugged as he looked up at Elle. "I made peace with it a long time ago Elle… all of it." He said as he looked her directly in the eye. "I've gone through a lot since you left and as much as it sucked, I had to decide to let it make me better at my job, to let it make me a better person. I grew up." He said with a shrug.

Elle nodded, "That still doesn't mean that I don't wish that I'd handled things differently."

"You did what you had to do… and sometimes, that's all you can do. We all make decisions that we aren't proud of sometimes." He said as he thought about some of the decisions that he'd made himself. "What matters the most is that we learn from those mistakes and move on."

Elle smiled and shook her head. "I missed you Reid. What do you say we go see how JJ's faring with Henry's puppy?"

Reid stood up from the couch. "That's probably a good idea." He said as he followed Elle into the kitchen.

JJ turned to look at the door as Spence and Elle entered the kitchen and grinned at her boyfriend. "Hey" she said as Spence stepped up next to her.

Spence looked down to the kitchen floor and it was easy to see what had caused the grin on JJ's face. Henry was on the floor playing with the small ball of fur that was his new puppy.

At hearing his Uncle Spence's chuckle, Henry turned to look up at him. "You see Sunny Unca 'Pence?"

"I do Henry." Spence smiled in reply as he looked down at Sunny, Henry's new golden retriever puppy, and wondered how long it would take the pup to start yapping or barking at him like most dogs did once he was in the vicinity.

Sunny rolled over onto all fours from her young master rubbing her belly and sat back on her rump as she looked at all the much larger people. She tipped her head to the side as she curiously studied the new person who had entered the room along with the nice lady that had helped pick her out at the humane society. Sunny stood up on her little legs and wobbled over to the new person. She sniffed at his pant legs for a moment and then she sat back and whined, wanting to be picked up.

Elle laughed. "It looks like 'The Reid Effect' is completely over mijo. She wants you to pick her up."

Reid looked at Elle with wide eyes and then knelt down and picked up the puppy, scratching her behind the ears as he sat down on the kitchen floor next to Henry so that he and his godson could both pet the boy's puppy.

"So why'd you name her Sunny?" Spence asked Henry as the little boy climbed into his lap and started to pet the puppy with Uncle Spence.

"Cause her 'lellow." Henry replied.

Spence and the rest of the adults chuckled. "You're right buddy. She is sort of yellow like the Sun."

Elle stood smiling as she looked down at an old friend, whom she thought she'd never see again, and her boyfriend's son, whom she grown very fond of during the last week… but then why wouldn't she? He was definitely a little cutie… and of course it was easy to see why. The boy looked just like his mother, another old friend who she'd thought she'd never see again.

JJ and Will stood off to the side together where they'd stood discussing the puppy and Henry while he played with Sunny on the floor after properly introducing Sunny to Mommy.

"Damn you Will LaMontagne," JJ muttered barely audible as she turned her head to look at her ex-boyfriend. She'd fallen in love with the little ball of fur on the floor, despite her strong aversion and dislike of dogs. How could she not fall in love with something that made the two men in her life this happy? To be honest, she was shocked to see a dog not bark at Spence for the first time ever.

Will grinned. "Wore you down didn't she?" he said with a nod of his head at the cute ball of fur currently entertaining their significant others and their son.

"Yes. You and Henry win. Sunny can come home with us now and then once you get back to DC, Sunny can go back and forth between houses with Henry." JJ responded with a shake of her head.

Will grinned. "I knew once you saw Henry together with his puppy you'd say yes. Every kid should have a dog." He said as he leaned back against the kitchen counter and crossed his arms. "You know, it's funny how things don't work out. I never would have thought a year ago that we'd be in this position… when I pictured this scene I always thought it'd be Spencer introducing us to his girlfriend… not me introducing you to my new girlfriend." He said shaking his head as he turned to look at JJ, glad that it was looking like their split was turning out to have been more amicable than he could have imagined a few months ago when he found out that it really was over between them and that JJ had moved on.

JJ smiled as she watched Spence tickle Henry after Elle took the puppy from them and then turned to look back at Will. "It's funny how they do… turn out that is."

Will nodded in agreement as he watched his girlfriend, his son, his son's puppy, and his son's godfather play together on the floor.

"So what does you moving back to DC mean for you and Elle and the life you were building here?" JJ asked curiously.

Will turned to look at JJ. "Elle and I already talked about it… New Orleans might be my home town, but Henry is my son and wherever he is… that's home. She's known I was moving back to DC and that I had a son since we met… and actually she's a consultant anyway. She doesn't live here in New Orleans; she's been here for work."

JJ nodded for Will to continue. She was curious to hear how they'd met. "How did you guys meet?"

"The guys and I went out one night after working on the house all day… it's funny now that I think about it… we went to the same bar that we went when we were working that case." Will said knowing that JJ would know he meant the case during which she and he had met.

JJ had to smile a little at the universe, or perhaps the big guy pulling the strings in the universe to line things up for Will and Elle to meet in a similar manner to how they had in the other universe. She nodded.

Will grinned. "She was wearing a blue top and she sent me a drink."

JJ laughed out loud and then covered her mouth with her hand as Elle and Spence both turned to look up at them. She snickered as her laughter stopped and then went to sit down next to Spence, while Henry went to sit next to Elle. Henry climbed over into Mommy's lap as she sat down.

* * *

><p>JJ collapsed exhausted on the couch next to Spence. It had been a long travel day. Henry had been slightly upset at saying goodbye to Daddy at the airport. Luckily since Sunny was still a small puppy she'd been able to fly in the cabin with them in her pet carrier. Henry had been adorable as he patted Sunny's nose through the bars in the door of the pet carrier until the both fell asleep. Luckily it was only a two hour flight home. After getting off the plane and to baggage claim, she'd taken first Henry and then Sunny for a potty break while Spence collected their luggage. Then they'd been off to find the car in the long term parking lot. They'd stopped on the way home for supplies for the new puppy. Then they'd headed home with a car filled full of luggage, dog food, a crate, a bed, chew toys, a leash, a food dish, a water dish, treats, clippers, puppy shampoo, a dog brush and comb… and the list went on… who knew there were so many supplies needed for a puppy.<p>

JJ smiled and turned her head to bury it in Spence's neck as he sat down next to her on the couch. Henry had crashed early after spending the evening showing Sunny around the house and then playing in the backyard. The two blonde haired toddlers had chased and played with each other to the point of exhaustion until both of them were ready to be put to bed. Henry had patted Sunny on the head and scratched her behind the ears as he said good night to her. Henry had fallen asleep while she was changing him into his pajamas.

"Hey you" JJ murmured against Spence's neck. "Did you get all unpacked?"

Spence nodded as he wrapped his arm around JJ. "Yeah… we'll need to do laundry tomorrow, but everything is unpacked and put away."

"Mm hm" JJ murmured in agreement.

"Tired?" Spence asked.

"Yeah… and its back to the real world and work again on Monday." JJ replied as she snuggled into Spence's side.

* * *

><p>JJ sat with her assistant Jaime in her office showing her the absolutely adorable photos she'd taken of Henry and Sunny playing together the day before.<p>

"Aww" Jaime said as she looked a photo of Henry laying on the floor giggling while Sunny licked his face. "That is completely totally, utterly adorable. You are so lucky JJ… how did you manage it… an adorable kid… and now your with the love of your life." Jaime said as she shook her head.

JJ smiled. "I had a little luck and a whole lot of help from up above. Speaking of Spence…" JJ said as she picked up her ringing cell phone. "Hi Spence what's up?"

"We just got a case in Jacksonville. A dredging barge uncovered a burial ground at sea. It looks like it could take a while based on what we'll have to go on for evidence." Spence said as he shouldered his go bag and followed Morgan and Seaver as they headed for the elevators.

JJ nodded in understanding. "Okay. I love you. Be safe."

Spence paused in the middle of the elevator lobby while Morgan and Seaver stood waiting for him at the elevator. "I love you too. I'll try and call you tonight if I can. Tell my little buddy that I'll miss him."

JJ smiled at Spence's request. "I will. I know Henry's going to miss you too. Hopefully we'll talk to you tonight. Bye."

Jaime smiled as she placed a stack of files on JJ's desk, the work they actually were meeting to work on. It'd been a busy couple of weeks in the intelligence community… and a lot of the work that had lead up to the success just a little over a week ago was due to the liaising, coordination, and negotiations between various groups, committees, and teams that JJ had been working on for months. It was easy to see why the State Department had wanted her and recruited her away from the FBI.

JJ made a face as she looked at the stack of files that Jaime had placed on her desk. "Back to work I guess huh?"

Jaime grinned. "You know it boss. Somebody has to get up to speed on what these reports say so she'll be ready for her meetings this week."

JJ sighed. "I just wish it wasn't me. No, wait, if I'm wishing for things… then I wish that somebody had taken him out ten years ago… then 9/11 maybe wouldn't have happened." She responded solemnly as she looked through the first of what were many reports on the actions of Seal Team Six that were waiting her perusal before she met with all of the different people she was scheduled to meet with this week.

Jaime nodded in understanding. "I wish that too… but unfortunately wishing doesn't make it so. So how do you want to sort these?" She asked as looked at the hefty stack of files on her boss's desk.

JJ looked at the pile and flipped through the first couple of files. "Let's put the after action reports in this pile, the intelligence files in another pile, and let's pull up our timeline on the board to so we can fit everything in where it goes." She replied.

Jaime nodded and stood up, moving to plug her laptop into the computerized board along the wall of JJ's office as they began to work on dissecting all of the after action data.

* * *

><p>"Hey, what are you ladies doing out here?" Spence asked with some humor in his voice as he set his go bag down on the deck and then sat next to JJ who was leaning back resting her elbows on the deck while she sat on the stairs watching Sunny run around exploring the part of the backyard she could reach on her chain. He leaned down to kiss JJ hello, his hand resting on her hip and his thumb rubbing across her belly.<p>

"Mmm" JJ moaned in the back of her throat as she pulled back from the heated hello kiss. "Well Sunny is going potty, and I was just enjoying a wonderful spring evening and hoping my boyfriend would be home soon. Have you seen him?" JJ teased.

Spence guffawed at JJ's question and then started to tickle her.

Sunny ran towards his master's Mommy at the sounds of her shrieking and attempted a fierce growl which came out as more of a squeak due to her size as she launched her small puppy self up the stairs and onto the couple on the stairs. Her protectiveness turned in to joyful puppy bliss as she wagged her tail and licked Spence's face at the sight of him while she sat on his chest where he'd fallen back against the steps at Sunny's puppy tackle.

"Silly girl" Spence said shaking his head as he scratched the puppy behind the ears. Then he rolled his where it rested on the deck to look at JJ. "Henry in bed already?"

JJ nodded as she sat up and scooped Sunny up off Spence's chest and held the puppy against her as she unhooked the chain from her collar. "Yes" she said and then glanced down to see that Sunny curled up and closed her eyes, "and it looks like its Sunny's bedtime too." She said as she stepped up onto the deck and headed for the sliding glass deck door.

Spence tipped his head back and watched JJ as she walked across the deck.

JJ paused in the open doorway and turned to look at Spence. "Since you're still out here, when my boyfriend gets here, would you do me a favor and let him know that I'll be waiting for him in the living room to welcome him home?" JJ asked with a wink at Spence.

Spence sprang up off the steps and grabbed his go back as he dashed across the deck to follow JJ into the house.

JJ tucked the sleeping puppy into the portioned off section off her crate and then turned and grabbed Spence's hand leading him to the living room.

She slid the strap of his go bag off his shoulder and half dropped, half tossed it towards the stairs before reaching up and wrapping her arms around Spence's neck, her thumbs massaging behind his ears while her fingers massaged the back of his head and neck, causing him to groan in pleasure and close his eyes as his hands rested on JJ's hips. "Well what do you know; my boyfriend's home." JJ grinned as she looked up at Spence.

Spence's eyes popped open as he stepped closer to his girlfriend, his hands sliding off her hips and around her waist as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. "Hi" he said softly as he leaned his head down to rest his forehead against hers.

"Hi" JJ murmured in reply as she backed up to the couch and sat down, dragging Spence down behind her.

Spence reached up and undid his tie and pulled it off, dropping it on the end table beside him and then undid the top two buttons of his shirt as he settled into the couch and curled up with JJ.

"How was the case?" JJ asked as she rested her head against Spence's shoulder while her fingers played with the buttons of his dark purple shirt.

"It was rough…" Spence replied as he rested his head back against the back of the couch.

JJ lifted her head up study her boyfriend's face in concern.

Spence lifted his head to meet JJ's gaze and shook his head. "I'm fine… it wasn't me that it was rough for… it was Morgan. One of the victims matched the demographics for his missing cousin."

JJ winced in sympathy for Morgan. His missing cousin had haunted him ever since her disappearance. She swallowed, "Was it her?"

Spence shook his head. "No, he named all of his other victims by name… he couldn't do that with Morgan's cousin… he didn't know Cindi's name."

"Poor Morgan… just when there might be some closure for him and his family." JJ remembered how hard it had been on Morgan when his cousin Cindi had disappeared. It'd happened not too long after she joined the team.

"Yeah…" Spence murmured as he shifted to a more comfortable position on the couch. "So how have the last few days been for you?"

"Work was busy." JJ murmured as she shifted closer to Spence, draping her leg across his lap. "And I would have been a whole lot happier if you would have been here… then you could have been the one getting up to let the puppy out."

Spence smirked. "I thought you were a morning person?"

"Three am is not morning; it's the middle of the night." JJ replied.

Spence chuckled. "You don't seem to mind when I wake you up at three am."

JJ swatted his chest. "That's different and you know it."

Spence grinned as he caught JJ's hand on her second attempt at swatting him. "Okay, so from now on, I'll get up to let Sunny out for her middle of the night potty trips. Then I'll come back to bed and wake you up."

JJ giggled and leaned up to kiss her boyfriend. "Now that sounds like a deal I can live with… but what about when you aren't here?"

Spence tipped his head back to look at JJ. "Other than when the team is on a case, when am I not here?"

JJ tipped her head to the side as she studied Spence thoughtfully. "You're right…" she paused biting her lip for just a moment. "Why do you have your own place again?"

Spence paused and stared at JJ open mouthed for a moment. "Are you… did you just… uh JJ?"

JJ grinned wide at Spence. "Yes, baby?" she asked as she shifted to straddle Spence.

"Um, did you uh… just ask me to um… move in with you?" Spence asked as he face scrunched up in confusion.

JJ bit her lip as she nodded her head, confirming Spence's understanding of their conversation.

"Are you sure?" Spence asked as he brought his hands up to rest on JJ's waist.

"Yeah, I am… that is, as long as you're ready?" JJ said, holding her breath and hoping that she hadn't misjudged their readiness for this.

Spence blinked and then a large grin broke out his face. "I am very, very ready for us to move in together. I love you JJ." He murmured as he leaned forward to kiss her.

"Mm I love you too." JJ moaned against his lips as she followed him back against the couch. JJ moved closer to Spence, the apex of her thighs rubbing against his as she pressed herself closer.

Spence groaned into JJ's mouth as their kiss deepened and he pulled JJ closer, his hands sliding down to cup her ass.

Then JJ heard the pitter patter of little feet on the stairs and pulled away from Spence just as Henry's little feet hit the bottom of the stairs.

"Unca Spence you home!" he said excitedly as the now wide awake toddler trotted across the living room floor to the couch where Mommy and Uncle Spence sat. He climbed up on the couch next to Uncle Spence, then he looked at Mommy in confusion. "Mama why you sit in Unca' 'pence's wap?"

JJ bit her lip to keep from laughing when Spence turned beet red. "I um… was just hugging Uncle Spence."

"Why?" Henry asked curiously as Mommy sat up on her knees and then stood up.

"Because I'm really happy." JJ said as she smiled down at Henry and then picked him up and sat down next to Spence with Henry in her lap. "Uncle Spence is going to come and live with us."

Henry's face wrinkled up in confusion. "Don't Unca 'pence aweady wive hewe?"

JJ chuckled and glanced at Spence who grinned at Henry proving his early point. Other than when the team was on a case, when was he not here?

"Yeah, I guess you're right buddy." Spence said as he reached over tickled Henry's belly.

Henry giggled and then rubbed his eyes and leaned forward resting his head against Mommy.

"Baby boy what are you doing up?" JJ asked as she tipped her head down and kissed the top of Henry's head.

"I firsty" Henry mumbled his tiredness and the fact that it was rather late for little boys to be up, catching up with him again.

"Okay, a small drink of water and then it's time to go back to bed." JJ said as she stood up with the tired toddler in her arms.

JJ came back a few minutes later with a soundly sleeping Henry resting on her shoulder. "Hey," she whispered. "I'm going to go put Henry back to bed, but Sunny was whining while we were in the kitchen. Can you please go take her out? Maybe if she goes out now you won't have to get up to let her out at three am." JJ winked as Spence stood up.

"But if I don't have to get up to let her out, what excuse will I use to wake you up?" Spence asked as he paused and pressed a kiss to JJ's lips and then a kiss to the top of Henry's head.

JJ smirked. "Maybe we'll still be up celebrating you moving in at three am."

"Well, I better go let Sunny out now then." Spence replied kissing JJ again before she headed upstairs to put Henry back to bed.

Spence headed for the kitchen and lifted Sunny out of her crate heading immediately for the deck door and the backyard so that she could go potty. Fifteen minutes later, the puppy was happily snuggling back in her crate and Spence was headed for his girlfriend who was waiting for him upstairs.

He smiled and chuckled as he entered the bedroom and found JJ in some of the sexiest lingerie that he'd ever seen her wear… but what caused him to smile was the fact that his girlfriend had fallen sound asleep while she waited for him to let the puppy out and come to bed. He sat his go bag on the bed and then covered JJ up. He unpacked his go bag, stowed his gun and badge in the safe, moved his go bag off to the chair in the corner, and then headed off to take a shower. Minutes later after a quick shower he walked back in the room and pulled a pair of soft cotton boxers from his bag, stepped into them, pulled back the covers on his side of the bed, turned off the light, and climbed into bed, snuggling up beside JJ as she slept peacefully.


	16. Chapter 16

Hey all - sorry that it took 3 weeks to get this posted... this chapter 16 has been written for at least 2 weeks - but the other chapter 16 gave me a little bit of difficulty - so it just took longer... sorry about that.

I don't own Criminal Minds. Sure wish I did though... if you wondering what to get me for Christmas - that is definitely on the list ;)

In case you weren't already aware, award season is upon us once again (I know - I too find myself asking where the last year went)...

* Profiler's Choice 2012 Fanfic Awards for the Criminal Minds Community *

Hosted by ilovetvalot and tonnie2001969 and hxchick

_It is our pleasure to announce the Third Annual Profiler's Choice Fanfic Awards for the Criminal Minds community! _

_The nomination ballot is now available, and all rules are posted on Chit Chat on Author's Corner forum! Nomination ballots must be received by October 15, 2012, and must be sent to this PM at Profiler's Choice CM Awards (this page!) Fics for consideration must have appeared on the CM section of between September 1, 2011, and August 31, 2012 (see rules for full details.)_

_Please read all rules prior to submitting ballots! Please _PM at Profiler's Choice CM Awards_ with any questions._

So - mosey on over to the Chit Chat on Author's Corner Forum and get your ballot so you can nominate your favorites. There were a ton of great stories this year! Just make sure you read the rules.

Happy reading and enjoy :D

* * *

><p>Emily smiled faintly and shook her head as she pulled out the instructions for making contact with her handler that had been in with her passports and bank information. She opened up her web browser and waited for the online scrabble page to load. She scrolled down the page, and stopped when she came to her handler, 'Cheeto-Breath', who was online and waiting for her to sign in for their first 'meeting'.<p>

JJ smirked when she saw the request to play a game of scrabble come from 'Seeking HBDWASABAG'. She hadn't been able to resist when creating their screen names so they would recognize each other on the site. It was nice to still be able to tease her friend and reminisce… even if it was across and ocean and over 3,000 miles away.

"_JJ, that's not the point." Emily said as they walked out of the coffee shop and down to meet up with Garcia and head to see Xanadu._

"_Ugh well are you going to call him?" JJ asked as she turned to look at Emily._

"_Maybe" Emily said in an indifferent tone of voice, looking straight ahead as she carried Garcia's coffee as well as her own._

"_Ugh" JJ sighed in exasperation as she dropped her head back and looked to the heavens as if it held the answers to motivating one of her best friends to get back in the dating world. "Emily"_

"_Mick Rawson is an arrogant, uh oversexed, egotistical…" _

"_Hot British __**dude**__ with a sexy accent bag __**and**__ gun. Just your type." JJ interrupted, attempting to make her point about Emily getting back out there._

JJ smiled as she clicked to accept Seeking HBDWASABAG's request for a game of scrabble. She paused in sorting the letters on the screen of her encrypted laptop to send a message to her opponent.

"So how are you?"

Emily smiled as she received a message on her screen from 'Cheeto-Breath'.

"Good. You? Everyone else?"

JJ dropped the letters of her first word in place.

"Good…missing you."

Emily built off of JJ's word and then typed her reply.

"Me too. Any news?"

JJ sighed as she slid the tiles of her next word into place on the screen.

"Not yet. But we'll find him. We're tracking the money and all known associates."

Emily nodded as she lined up the tiles for her next word and they continued to play.

"He has resources you can't begin to imagine. He's probably gone to ground."

JJ nodded. That was exactly what they experienced so far.

"Any detail you can provide might help… anything that you can remember that might help us track him."

Emily stared at the screen as she tried to remember anything that the team and JJ didn't already know that could help lead them to Doyle.

"I'll let you know if I think of anything."

* * *

><p>And the weeks passed by…<p>

* * *

><p>With the townhouse on the market, and drawing a fair amount of traffic in the couple of weeks it had been listed, JJ and Spence had begun looking at houses. JJ took comfort in knowing that there wasn't a rush, as Spence still had a few months left on the lease of his apartment and if need be, they could live at his place for a while. However, she wanted to only have to move once if possible. It would be easiest not only in terms of the move, but also for Henry to only have to adjust to one new home and not two.<p>

In the last couple of weekends, they'd managed to etch precious time out of both of their schedules in order to tour a long list of homes in the area. Thus had begun the great and age old debate; live in the city, with less of a commute, but pay more for less house; or live in the suburbs with more of a commute, but also with more house for the less money.

"_JJ, it's a quicker commute for me to drive south to Quantico if we live in the city than it is for you to drive north to Arlington." Spence said as they sat looking at a map with their realtor and discussing options._

"_Spence, I don't mind the commute if it means we can have a bigger house with more of a yard." JJ said as she looked up from the map. _

"_Are you sure? I don't mind living in DC if that's the area we decide to stay in… and what about Will? Do you want to be relatively close to each other?" Spence asked wanting to make sure that whatever they decided was what they both really wanted._

_JJ smiled at his thoughtfulness and squeezed his hand. "Spence, DC to Quantico is just over a half hour… I'm not sure what Will is going to want to do, but it's not like we're talking about moving to another state. I can always take the train if I don't feel like driving… plus for what Will and I paid for the townhouse, you and I could get a house with a big yard for Henry. I really do think Dale City, Dumfries, or the surrounding area is our best options."_

"Are you tired baby boy?" JJ asked as she kissed Henry's temple when he rested his head on her shoulder as she took him out of his car seat.

Henry nodded his head against Mommy's shoulder. "No baby" he said as he snuggled close to Mommy, exhausted after a long afternoon of looking at houses.

JJ smiled a little sadly. Henry was right, at two and a half, he wasn't a baby anymore. "Sorry little man." She teased jiggling Henry on her hip and causing him to giggle as Uncle Spence came around from the driver's side to join them as they walked over to meet the realtor. "This is the last house and then we can go home okay?" JJ asked, tipping her head look down at Henry as he nodded his head.

JJ shifted Henry in her arms as they crossed the yard. "Do you want me to take him?" Spence leaned down to whisper to JJ, his hand resting on the small of her back.

She nodded, pausing to hand Henry over to Spence and then taking his free hand as they continued following their realtor across the yard.

"You're in luck." Their realtor said as she opened up the key box on the door and let them into the house. "The sellers really need to move the house now that it's been on the market for over a year. They just dropped the price $15, 000.00 yesterday."

"Is there a reason they're so anxious to get out of the house?" JJ asked, concerned that there might be something wrong with one of their top three picks for houses.

The realtor smiled in understanding. "They relocated for work and have been waiting on purchasing a new home until this house sold since they couldn't afford two mortgages. They're just tired of living out of a furnished apartment instead of finally being able to settle into their new area."

JJ nodded in understanding as they walked across the wood floors of the house and through the living room. To be honest there was a reason she'd wanted to see this house last. It was her favorite, but she wanted to be sure she still felt the same way after seeing the other two houses again before it.

She did still feel the same. She could picture herself, Spence, and Henry curled up together and reading books in front of the fireplace. She could envision the team coming over for dinner and entertaining them in the large spacious kitchen that opened up to a dining room, and the finished basement. The upstairs had four bedrooms, one of which was the master suite. But looking out the window into the big backyard she could envision Henry running and playing with Sunny.

Spence smiled as he watched JJ. He'd been able to tell since the first time they'd looked at this house, that this was her favorite. He had to admit, he couldn't argue with her. There was of course the den that he and JJ could share as an office to be able to work at home when they needed to. There was the fireplace… and he'd come to discover that he really enjoyed curling up with JJ in front of the fireplace. The house was unique. It'd been renovated and modernized in the last few years but still maintained the character of an older home.

JJ and Spence each occasionally asked a question here or there about the house, just as they had at the previous homes. Profilers however, didn't hold the patent on being able to read people, and their realtor could tell that this was the young couple's favorite house out of their top three picks. "Why don't I give you a few minutes to look around the house a bit while I go outside and return a few calls and messages?" she asked as she held up her Blackberry with a flashing red light indicating she had missed calls.

"Thank you" JJ said as they watched the realtor walk out onto the patio and stand facing away from the house as she lifted her phone to her ear.

"What do you think buddy? Do you think Sunny would like living here?" Spence asked as he sat Henry on the counter and then they turned to look around the kitchen together as JJ leaned into his side.

Henry looked around, letting his legs swing as he sat on the counter. "Uh huh. It big."

"It is bigger than our house now isn't it?" JJ asked as she reached out and brushed Henry's hair out of his eyes.

"Uh huh" Henry nodded again. "What happen to our house?" he asked.

"Well, it's going to be someone else's house and they'll live there once we find a new house." JJ replied.

Henry tipped his head as he contemplated what Mommy had to say. "What 'bout my woom?"

JJ smiled. "We'll move all of our things to the new house and you'll have a new room. Should we go see what room should be yours if we get this house?" JJ asked as she turned to look at her son.

"Yeah!" Henry rasped softly, in awe that he'd get to pick his room.

"Okay, let's go." JJ said as she lifted Henry up off the counter and then set him on his feet and took his hand as they headed into the living room and up the stairs.

As they reached the top of the stairs, they paused in the hallway. "Which room should we look at first?" Uncle Spence asked as he stepped up behind them.

Henry looked between the five doors in the hallway surrounding the landing of the stairs and then pulled Mommy towards the first door at the top of the stairs. "Dis one."

Henry walked in the room pulling Mommy by the hand. "Dis big…" he said as he walked in the room. Then he kept pulling Mommy across the room to the doorway on the other side of the room and into the walk-in closet and then the master suite bathroom. "Mama dis bes my woom?"

JJ laughed. "Nice try little man, but this is going to be Mommy and Uncle Spence's room if we get this house. How about we go look at the other bedrooms though."

"Otay" Henry sighed as he followed Mommy back to the other rooms. Spence chuckled as he followed them.

When they left the house, it was to head back to the realtor's office to put together an offer on the house.

* * *

><p>And the weeks passed by….<p>

* * *

><p>"Are you excited about spending the weekend with Daddy?" JJ asked as she helped Henry pack what he was going to bring to Daddy's apartment. Will had just moved back from New Orleans now that his childhood home had sold.<p>

"Yu huh" Henry nodded as he handed Mommy his t-shirts to pack in his bag.

"Okay little man," JJ said as she zipped Henry's bag closed, "you're all set. How about we go say bye to Uncle Spence and then I'll take you over to Daddy's?"

Henry nodded eagerly as he took Mommy's hand and hopped off his bed, excited to see his Daddy again.

JJ smiled as she watched Henry run into the kitchen and stop next to Spence.

"Unca 'pence?" Henry asked as he tugged Spence's pant leg. "What you doing?"

"Hey munchkin," Spence said as he set aside the dishes he was wrapping up in newspaper and bent down, scooping Henry up into his arm. "I'm packing up the dishes so that we can move them to the new house this weekend while you're with your Daddy. What are you doing?" Spence asked as he winked at JJ.

"I say bye bye now. Mama takin' me to Dada's." Henry explained.

"Oh… that's right." Spence replied with a smile. "Have fun and I'll see you in a few days okay?"

"Otay Unca 'pence." Henry said as he hugged Spence. "You move my 'tuff?"

"Yep, Mommy and I will make sure all of your stuff gets to the new house and your new room. But if I miss you can I play with your dinosaurs?" Spence asked.

Henry tipped his head to the side as a thoughtful expression crossed his face. "You no bweak dem?"

Spence laughed. "You're right; it would be bad if I broke your toys. I better wait to play with them with you."

JJ laughed at her boys' antics together. "Okay little man, let's go." JJ said as lifted Henry out of Spence's arms and settled him on her hip.

Spence wrapped his arms around JJ and pulled her close. He blew a raspberry on Henry's cheek causing him to giggle. As the little boy between them giggled, Spence lowered his head and kissed his girlfriend and soon to be co-homeowner on the lips. "See you in a little bit."

"Mm" JJ murmured as she pulled out of the kiss. "Okay, be back soon. Come on Sunny, let's go for a car ride." She called out to the now 12 week old puppy who was napping in her crate. She was now potty trained for which JJ was very grateful. JJ set Henry back down on his feet and grabbed Sunny's leash, connecting it to her collar when the puppy trotted over and sat down at her feet.

* * *

><p>"Dinner's here" JJ said as she came back from answering the door. They'd closed on the new house on Friday and moved in over the weekend, but they still needed to unpack. JJ and Will had the closing for the townhouse next week.<p>

"That smells really good." Spence said as he grabbed a couple of bottles of water out of the refrigerator and then followed JJ into the living room.

JJ sat the bag of Chinese food on an end table and began pulling out containers as she knelt down on the floor. Then she held one of the sets of chopsticks from in the bag out to Spence as he sat down next to her.

Spence looked down at the chopsticks and then back up at JJ. "I'd prefer a fork."

"If you can find the box with the silverware in it, then you can use a fork baby, but if not, then this is all we've got." JJ replied as smirked at him. "Besides, it's been over five years now. How have you still not learned how to use chopsticks?"

Spence shrugged. "Nobody's really offered to teach me since you when we had that case in New York. Besides I still say that it's like trying to forage for food with a pair of number 2 pencils." He said as he poked at the lo mein noodles with his chopsticks.

JJ watched mirthfully as her boyfriend attempted unsuccessfully to eat with his chopsticks. Then his stomach grumbled loudly and she took pity on him. "Here baby, let me help you…" she said as she set the container she was holding and eating out of on the end table.

"JJ" Spence whined as he shook his head, "the rubber band trick doesn't work."

"We'll build up to you using chopsticks on your own, but for now baby," JJ said as she took the box of noodles and his chopsticks out of his hands and set them on the table next to them, "you are starving and a fork isn't an option. I don't want you passing out on me." JJ said as she straddled his lap and sat facing him. Then she reached beside her to the table and picked the box of lo mein and a pair of chopsticks back up. "Open up" JJ said as she held chopsticks full of noodles out to Spence for him to take a bite.

"JJ, I can feed myself. I've been doing it my whole life." Spence said, glancing down at the noodles in front of his lips.

"Baby, you're starving and I have no idea where the box with the silverware is… just eat." JJ said.

"We should have ordered pizza." Spence grumbled and then opened his mouth for JJ to feed him the noodles.

JJ smirked and shook her head as she dipped the chopsticks back into the noodles and pulled out a bite for herself.

* * *

><p>And the weeks passed by…<p>

* * *

><p>JJ grunted as she lifted another stack of books out of Spence's closet and shook her head. She hadn't realized everything that had needed to be gone through at Spence's apartment when she suggested they take the weekend to go through everything at his apartment. She moved the books off to the side for Spence to go through and stuck her head back in the closet. She sat in shock for a moment at what she found sitting covered in dust at the back of the closet.<p>

JJ pulled out the items she'd found and sat back on her heals as she called for Spence. "Spence, baby come 'ere."

"Yeah?" Spence asked as he entered the room brushing his hands off. He'd lived in this apartment since he and the guys had moved out of the house. It was right off the metro line and fit his needs as a single male, so he'd never seen any practicality in moving when where he lived was just fine. That was, of course, until his beautiful blonde haired, blue eyed, dream girl had asked him to move in with her.

"Something you've been forgetting to mention to me?" JJ asked as she looked up at Spence.

"I…" Spence trailed off as he looked down at JJ and the two guitar cases and an amp that sat in front of her. He'd thought about digging out his guitars after playing the piano with Sammy on the case in New Orleans a few months ago… but he'd just never gotten around to it.

JJ smiled knowingly. After all, in the other life Spence had a band so it stood to reason that he'd played here as well, but she hadn't really given it a whole lot of thought with everything that had been going on the last several months until just now and finding his guitars in the back of his closet. "Play for me?" JJ asked, realizing how much she missed hearing Spence sing.

"I uh… haven't played in forever." Spence said as he sat down next to JJ and ran his hand over the case of his acoustic guitar.

"I bet you're still very good." JJ replied.

Spence glanced up at JJ from the guitar case and wiped his hands off on his pants and then gingerly opened one of the guitar cases that he'd tucked in the back of his closet so that it would be out of the way about five years ago. He pulled his accoustic guitar out and rested its body on his thigh as he strummed across the strings. He winced at how out of tune it was.

JJ watched Spence as he sat for several minutes tuning his guitar and then strumming across the strings. Then the melody of a vaguely familiar song began to emerge as her boyfriend continued to play. Then he began to sing.

_You're my piece of mind,  
>in this crazy world.<br>Your're everything I've tried to find,  
>your love is a pearl. <em>

Spence thought about everything they'd been together in the last several months. There'd been them spending the holidays together and admitting their feelings for each other. There'd been his headaches, and then they'd lost Emily… even if it was only temporarily. He took comfort in knowing that he hadn't had had to go through any of it alone. He had JJ now.

_You're my Mona Lisa, you're my rainbow skies,  
>and my only prayer, is that you realize,<br>you'll always be beautiful, in my eyes._

JJ watched Spence, mesmerized as he played. Yes he was a little rusty, but hearing him play again was beautiful to her ears. She hadn't realized how much she'd missed it until now and listening to him play again.

_The world will turn,  
>and the seasons will change.<br>And all the lessons we will learn,  
>will be beautiful and strange. <em>

Spence looked up and met JJ's eyes as he continued to sing. As much as they'd been through together both as best friends and now as a couple, they were just starting out as a couple and there was so much for them to discover together.

_We'll have our fill of tears, our share of sighs.  
>My only prayer, is that you realize.<br>You'll always be beautiful, in my eyes._

JJ smiled as Spence played at the thought of everything waiting to be experienced in their life together. They'd just bought a home together a few weeks ago, and while some might call it too quick, they'd been best friends and in love with each other for years. She was looking forward to everything their lives would hold… whatever that might be. Spence was one of the most beautiful souls she knew, and seeing him come into his own over the course of the last seven years that she'd known him had been a gift.

_You will always be, beautiful in my eyes.  
>And the passing years will show,<br>that you will always grow,  
>evermore beautiful, in my eyes.<br>- Beautiful In My Eyes – Joshua Kadison_

Spence continued to strum his guitar, continuing with a soft series of chords. His eyes locked on JJ's as he sang.

_There you are in the early light of day  
>There you are in the quiet words I pray<br>I've been blessed by the simple happiness  
>Of the perfect love we've made<em>

As he sang, Spence couldn't help but think of all the times JJ had been there for him. She'd pulled together the first birthday celebration he'd had since his father had left when he was just 24. She'd been his 'date' to his first football game and not been embarrassed when he'd spilled his beer all over the person sitting in front of them. When things had turned dark for him, she'd patiently waited for him to be ready to talk about what he was going through. Although he'd never taken her up on her offer to talk in the months after Hankel, she'd always made it clear that it was a standing offer. Then she'd found someone else… and had a child… and made him Henry's godfather. It might have taken them over seven years to get to where they were now, based on when they'd met… but looking back he wouldn't take back any of it since it led here.

_Every time I turn around  
>When I'm lost and when I'm found<br>Like an angel standing guard  
>There you are<em>

JJ thought of all the time she'd spent with Spence over the years, whether it was his rambling facts, or the easy quiet they'd always had in each other's company. For all the hurt he'd suffered at a young age, he'd trusted her and let her in. More than once he'd come to her protection on a case. Oh sure, she'd always said that she didn't need it… that she could take care of herself… but it warmed her heart non-the-less that Spence was the first person to jump to her defense and protect her and the first to show that he cared and was there for her.

_Every time I take a breath and when I forget to breathe  
>You're watching over me there you are<br>When I'm looking for the light in the middle of the night  
>Searching for the brightest star<br>There you are_

Spence thought of all the times, whether it was as friends or now that they were lovers that JJ had soothed him after a nightmare… how she'd always been there for him… how their relationship had been a natural progression…

JJ couldn't help but think of how they'd always sought each other out… been drawn to each other, how their lives had orbited each other's for years…

_There you are standing in a crowded room  
>There you are the earth and I'm the moon<em>_  
><em>_My desire is to stand by the fire  
>That burns inside of you<br>- There You Are – Martina McBride_

* * *

><p>And the weeks passed by...<p>

* * *

><p>JJ looked down at her cell phone in confusion as she sat at her desk at the Pentagon working on fine tuning a presentation for tomorrow and going over notes for her meetings that afternoon. "Jareau" she answered, unsure why David Rossi would be calling her. She'd on seen him on a handful of occasions since she'd left the team and most of those had been in the months since the team became aware that she and Spence were together.<p>

"JJ, its Dave."

"Dave… Rossi… what can I do for you?" JJ asked and then became concerned. "Wait… is Spence okay?"

Dave smiled as he stood up from his desk with his cell phone pressed to his ear and went to look out the window and down into the bullpen where Reid and Seaver sat by themselves, hammering home the point of his call that much more. "Reid is fine. He's sitting at his desk in the bullpen working on some case files. Actually, I have something I'd like to discuss with you if you have time. Do you have a few minutes?"

"Sure" JJ replied curiously, her brow furrowing as she saved her presentation and closed some files on her desk to focus on Rossi and their conversation.

* * *

><p>JJ sat on the couch watching Henry playing on the floor, but was distracted from her thoughts regarding her conversation with Rossi earlier in the day. She'd managed to focus on the tasks that she'd needed to get done for the day, but any spare moments she had, her mind returned to her phone conversation with Rossi.<p>

"Hey, you look distracted. Is everything okay?" Spence asked as he sat down on the couch next to JJ and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

JJ nodded vaguely, Rossi's words from earlier repeated themselves in her head, as she leaned against Spence. "Rossi called me today." She said as she tipped her head to look up at her boyfriend.

"About?" Spence asked curiously.

"He wanted to know if I would be interested in rejoining the team." JJ replied.

"That's great!" Spence replied.

JJ bit her lip and remained silent.

At JJ's silence he continued. "It is great right?" he asked as he looked down at JJ.

JJ sighed. "I wouldn't be rejoining the team in my old capacity. It'd be as a profiler."

"And?" Spence prompted.

"And Rossi told me not to make a snap decision. That I should think it over and get back to him when I reached a decision." JJ said as she glanced at Henry and then looked back at Spence.

"Do you… um want to talk about it?" Spence asked as he played with the hair cascading over her shoulders.

JJ nodded and twisted sideways to be able to face Spence. "I know I should be excited about this… a year ago all I wanted was for Hotch to call me and tell me that it had all been a mistake… but at the same time it will mean travelling and missing Henry… but I'll be helping people again… I just don't know what to do."

Spence nodded in understanding. Sometimes getting what you wanted could be a little overwhelming. He pulled her into a hug. "You'll figure out what the right thing for you is."

JJ nodded against Spence's shoulder and then pulled back to look at him. "You know this isn't just about me right? It's about us and Henry…"

Spence cupped her cheek in his palm. "No matter what you decide, I support you. I just want you to be happy."

JJ smiled. "That's all you've ever wanted isn't it, for me to be happy?"

Spence shrugged. "Of course, I love you."

JJ shook her head. "How did I get so lucky?" she asked as she ran her fingers down Spence's forearm and turned her head to press a kiss to the palm of his hand. "Maybe we should talk to Will when he comes to pick up Henry for the week. This affects him too." She murmured as she curled up into his side.

* * *

><p>Will leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees as he listened to JJ explain the opportunity that Rossi had offered her. When she was done speaking, he scrubbed his hand across his beard. "Don't you like workin' regular hours at the Pentagon and havin' weekends off?" he asked as he tipped his head in contemplation and studied her.<p>

"Will… I… I'm not helping anyone there… not really." JJ replied.

Will closed his eyes and sighed as he remembered how JJ's desire to help others had been one of the many things that had caused him to fall for her in the first place. Then he realized that it wasn't his place to tell her anymore what she could or couldn't do… his place now was to partner with her in being the best co-parents that they could be. The best way to do that was to work together to accommodate each other's schedules as best as possible… after all when he'd needed to go to New Orleans and clear his head while he figured things out, JJ had been more than accommodating and supportive. "Alrigh'" Will said as he opened his eyes and looked back at JJ. "So you'll be on your old schedule again. We can do what we're doing now… every other week… but we'll adjust for when you have cases."

"Will, I haven't decided one way or the other yet." JJ replied.

Will smiled and shook his head, knowing full well what JJ would decide. Whether she was willing to admit it or not, she'd be rejoining the team and now that they were no longer together he was far enough removed from the situation to see that. "Well then _if_ you decide to rejoin the team, we'll make it work."

* * *

><p>"Mmm baby what… mmm" JJ moaned as Spence kissed his way down her neck and trailed his hand down her side and across her stomach as he pressed himself against her back. "Baby… mmm its still dark outside." JJ moaned as she lifted her head to look at the alarm clock. "Spence, its only quarter to five…"<p>

"Mm hm… I know…" Spence whispered against her skin.

JJ's eyes fluttered open and shut in pleasure. "Spence, baby….ahhh" She moaned his name and then giggled as he playfully brushed his scruffy morning stubble along her shoulder. Then she rolled onto her back towards her boyfriend. "Good morning." She said softly as she reached up to wrap her arms around her boyfriend's neck.

"It is now." Spence whispered against her lips as he leaned down the kiss her, his lips dragging gently across hers as their kiss intensified.

And then Spence's cell phone rang.

JJ whimpered against Spence's neck as he stretched his naked body across hers to grab his cell phone off the nightstand. To get even, she lifted her hips and ground her pelvis against his.

Spence groaned as he held the phone to his ear, listening to the voice mail message from Hotch, and then dropped his phone back on the nightstand.

JJ ran her fingers through Spence's hair as he dropped his forehead to rest on her shoulder. "What is it?"

"Hotch wants us in early for a meeting." Spence murmured concern creeping into his voice as he remembered the last time Hotch had called a meeting this early. Three years and eight months ago… after he'd driven to Gideon's cabin.

JJ sighed, knowing that early morning meetings were never for good news. She turned her head and kissed Spence's temple as she trailed her hands up and down his back, allowing her nails to lightly scratch his skin. "Come on baby, let's get up. You take shower and I'll make tea."

Spence shook his head against JJ's shoulder. Then he groaned as he lifted his head to look at JJ and leaned down to kiss her softly before pushing himself up off the bed and padding across the room and heading for the bathroom to take a shower.

JJ leaned up on her elbows in bed, a grin on her face as she watched Spence walk across the room, then she flopped back on the pillows and groaned as she turned her head to look at the clock that was just turning to five am. With a heavy sigh climbed out of bed and shuffled over to the dresser. 'Might as well get in a workout after Spence leaves' she thought to herself as she pulled some workout clothes out of the dresser and pulled them on.

A few minutes later, she was standing barefoot in front of the kitchen counter, Spence's travel mug and her own cup sitting in front of her as she waited for the tea kettle to whistle.

Spence came down the stairs and into the living room while tying his tie and rounded the corner into the kitchen. His hands froze in place adjusting his tie as he took a moment to appreciate the sight of his girlfriend in the kitchen of their new house, making coffee at just after five am in her tight knee length yoga pants and tank.

JJ heard Spence enter the kitchen and turned her head to smile at him over her shoulder. "Hey"

"Hey" Spence replied, drawn from his thoughts as he continued his approach across the hardwood floor of the kitchen and came to a stop behind his girlfriend, his hands resting her hips and his chin resting on her shoulder, his eyes closing contentedly and JJ tipped her head back to rest on his other shoulder as they enjoyed a quiet moment at the start of the day.

* * *

><p>"I appreciate everyone coming in early." Hotch said as he checked his phone while entering the round table room. He smoothed down his tie and took a seat at the table next to Dave.<p>

"What's goin' on?" Dave asked as Hotch took his seat.

Hotch interlaced his fingers together as he rested them on the table. Then he took a deep breath before starting what he knew would be a difficult conversation after everything the team had been through in the last year. "The director called a meeting last night to discuss budgets."

"He skipped over Strauss?" Dave asked.

"She's away." Hotch answered.

Dave took in that information as he listened to Hotch continue to explain the situation. It looked like if JJ's answer was yes, it'd be easier to get her back on the team than he'd originally planned.

"The Bureau is facing a lot of changes, and this unit is no exception." Hotch said as he continued explaining. "Over the next few weeks each of you is going to be asked if you'd like to stay with the unit."

"Why wouldn't we?" Reid asked in confusion. They were a family. Why would any of them ever choose to leave?

"There are other options for you out there." Hotch replied as he turned to look at Reid. It was obvious from his tone of voice, that the words were not heartfelt. His next words revealed his true feeling on the situation. "And while I want the unit to stay together, I understand completely if you want to see what the alternatives are. Morgan, there's a renewed interest in you from the New York office."

Morgan's eyes shifted back and forth as he took in the members of the team around the table. He glanced sideways at Reid and then looked back at Hotch. "Nobody's called me."

"They will." Hotch said knowingly with a lift of his eyebrows.

"That doesn't mean I'm gonna go." Morgan replied, knowing that there was no way in hell he was going anywhere until they caught Doyle and Emily was home with the team where she belonged.

"No, I know." Hotch replied in understanding.

"Are you staying here?" Ashley asked pointedly as she looked at Hotch.

Hotch glanced to look at Ashley and then back at the center of the table. "It's my intention." He replied, knowing that sometimes intent wasn't enough. "All I ask is that if you are contacted by another division that you let me know." Hotch said just as his phone began to ring. "Hotchner" he answered.

Each of the team members looked around at each other, wondering what the others would do.

"Yes, right. We can be there in twenty minutes." Hotch said and then hung up his phone. "Virginia State Police believe they've uncovered a serial killer. They need us at uh Zacker Road and Route Seven as soon as possible. Morgan, you and Dave head out there."

"What about this?" Dave asked.

Hotch sighed heavily. "We can talk about it later." He said as he led the team in standing up from the round table so that they could get to work on the case.

* * *

><p>"What happened to you?" Reid asked as he turned away from taking photos down off the case board when Morgan entered the round table rubbing his shoulder.<p>

"Guy was huge. Seriously." Morgan replied in a tired voice.

"You should start workin' out." Reid said with a straight face.

Garcia smiled and giggled as she looked back and forth between Morgan and Reid, glad for a light hearted moment after the heaviness of the whole day.

"Whata you got jokes now?" Morgan asked as he looked at Reid.

Reid nodded as a large grin grew on his face and he snickered.

Rossi smiled glad to see a bit of humor in the group after how brutal the last year had been on all of them. Then he noticed that Ashley was lost in her own thoughts rather than laughing with the team. "What is it kid?" he asked nodding towards Ashley.

"We only rescued seven victims today." Ashley said as she looked up from the files she held in her hands. "What about the rest of these?"

"It never ends." Rossi replied solemnly with a shake of his head.

Ashley nodded in reply as she thought about all of the young men and women out there, not that much younger than her who'd been targeted by this group… and while this group was gone… there were others, several others doing exactly the same thing. Dave was right; it never ends.

"But today I think we did good." Morgan added as he looked at Rossi.

Rossi nodded. "Yeah, we did."

"Yeah, if we weren't so exhausted, I would toast us." Garcia added.

"Good work everybody." Hotch said as he paused in the doorway of the round table room, where his team was congregated and wrapping up for the day, on his way out the door with files in hand. "Go home and get some rest. Nobody needs to come in until nine." He said and then turned to head for the door, but then stopped mid stride and turned back to face the team again. "thirty." He added, nodding firmly and then side stepped back into the hallway to head home himself.

"We were supposed to talk about…" Garcia paused at a startling realization and turned to look around at the team. "Has he ever left before us?"

"Baby girl, I don't blame him. It's been a long ass day."

Garcia opened her mouth as if to speak, but was cut off by Rossi. "Well you heard the man; go home." Rossi said and then turned to head back to his office.

"You don't have to tell me twice." Morgan replied.

"Hey is anyone hungry?" Reid asked as he shouldered his messenger bag and realized that he hadn't eaten all day.

"Starving" Ashley said with a nod at Reid.

"There's this super good Indian restaurant. It's a little ways away, but its open 24 hours and they have amazing chicken tandoori." Reid explained as he, Ashley, and Morgan headed for the door of the round table room.

Garcia lingered behind in the round table room for just a moment longer as she watched Hotch exit the double glass doors of the BAU bullpen, wondering just what the team could expect in this newest shake-up. Then she followed Reid, Ashley, and Morgan out into the bullpen and went to grab her things and join them for Indian food.

Rossi paused in the doorway of his office, surprised at seeing the visitor sitting in the dark in his office. He turned and closed the door to his office. "You said we needed to talk," he said as he crossed the few feet to sit on the edge of his desk, "but, at two am?" Rossi asked as he glanced down to look at his watch and then looked up at JJ sitting in the chair in front of his desk, all business in her suit, skirt, and heels.

JJ looked up at Rossi and tipped her head. "I saw the lights were on."

"And you couldn't sleep," Rossi replied, "which tells me you've given some thought to what we discussed." He nodded at JJ.

JJ nodded subtly as she thought back over all of the thinking she'd done in the last few days and the discussions she'd had both with Spence and with Will. "I haven't stopped thinking about it."

Rossi quirked an eyebrow at her. "So?"

"I'm coming back." JJ replied as she looked Rossi square in the eye.

Rossi nodded, a smirk appearing on his face at the thought of getting around Strauss to get JJ back on the team as well as how JJ being back with the team would help to stabilize the team in this time of uncertainty. He leaned forward and held out his hand to JJ. "Well then Agent Jareau, welcome back to the team."

JJ smiled and shook her head as she shook Rossi's hand. "Thanks. Where's everybody else?"

Rossi smiled. "I might have heard mention of a 24 hour Indian restaurant as I was leaving the round table room. That was just a couple of minutes ago, so if you hurry you might be able to catch everyone in the parking garage, and by everyone, I, of course mean Reid." He teased.

JJ's eyebrows raised on her forehead at Rossi having guessed her other motive for stopping by the BAU so late at night. She reached down and grabbed her purse, pulling out her cell phone as she uncrossed her legs and stood up. "I guess I better hurry then." She replied, starting to send a text message to Spence as Rossi held the door to his office open for her.

Spence's phone chirped in his pants pocket as he walked with Garcia, Morgan, and Ashley across the parking garage to where their cars were all parked. Having gotten here early in the morning, they had prime parking just past all of the reserved spots. He smiled as he read the text message on his phone as they reached their cars and then turned to lean against his car, waiting as the text message had said to, for his girlfriend.

"Pretty boy, you're the one that mentioned food. Are we going or what?" Morgan asked.

"In a minute. We just have to wait for someone." Reid replied as he looked back the way they had come.

Garcia, Morgan, and Ashley looked back and forth at each other in confusion for a couple minutes, wondering why Rossi would have texted him about coming with for Indian food. Their confusion gave way a few minutes later when the doors to the elevator lobby opened and revealed JJ.

Morgan decided to tease Reid a bit and gave out a low whistle at the sight of JJ in a suit and heels with her mid-thigh cut skirt.

Reid turned and glared at Morgan.

Morgan just laughed while Garcia elbowed him in the ribs.

Ashley smiled and shook her head.

"Hi" JJ said with a large grin on her face as she approached the group and walked directly up to Spence wrapping her arms around him.

"Hi" Spence replied smiling back at JJ as he wrapped his arms low around his girlfriend's waist and gave her a quick peck hello. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to tell Rossi my answer… but I also didn't want to go home alone." JJ said as her hands played with Spence's tie where they rested on his chest. "He mentioned that you were all going for Indian food, and I am starving." She said with a smile as she stood back up straight and stepped out of Spence's embrace.

"Oh peaches, you are a sight for sore eyes." Garcia said as she stepped forward and gave JJ a big hug. She appreciated knowing that as much as things might change in the near future, they would hopefully all remain friends.

JJ laughed. "Hey Pen, I've missed you too since we got together last week." She said as she hugged Pen back.

Ashley blushed slightly as her stomach rumbled loud enough to be heard by everyone else.

"I guess you weren't kidding about being starving were you?" Morgan said as he glanced at Ashley. "Let's go pretty boy. We'll follow you." Morgan said as he turned to climb in his truck.

Penelope headed to Esther and Ashley headed for her car.

JJ turned back to Spence and held out her keys. "Why don't you drive my car? Then we can go home right after and I'll drop you off in the morning?"


	17. Chapter 17

Hey guys... you have no idea how sorry I am that it took over a month to get this chapter out for you all! I took a little bit of a break after finishing up season 6 - because quite frankly, the second half of season 6 was just exhausting to write - but I never intended for it to be month in between chapters 16 and 17...

* Profiler's Choice 2012 Fanfic Awards for the Criminal Minds Community *

Hosted by ilovetvalot and tonnie2001969 and hxchick

_It is our pleasure to announce the Third Annual Profiler's Choice Fanfic Awards for the Criminal Minds community! _

_The nomination ballot is now available, and all rules are posted on Chit Chat on Author's Corner forum! Nomination ballots must be received by October 15, 2012, and must be sent to this PM at Profiler's Choice CM Awards (this page!) Fics for consideration must have appeared on the CM section of between September 1, 2011, and August 31, 2012 (see rules for full details.)_

_Please read all rules prior to submitting ballots! Please _PM at Profiler's Choice CM Awards_ with any questions._

So - mosey on over to the Chit Chat on Author's Corner Forum and get your ballot so you can nominate your favorites. There were a ton of great stories this year! Just make sure you read the rules.

I don't own Criminal Minds - you all have a vague (or not so vague) idea of how different the show would be if I did.

And now what you've all been waiting for - on with the story!

Happy reading and enjoy :D

* * *

><p>JJ glanced sideways at Spence as they stepped off the elevator on the sixth floor. She took a deep breath. Being back at the BAU was like coming home again. It was where she belonged.<p>

"Welcome to the BAU profiler trainee Jareau" Garcia said in a glee filled voice to welcome JJ back on her first day as a profiler in training.

JJ chuckled. "Thanks Pen."

"You're welcome peaches."

"Welcome back JJ" Hotch said with his seldom seen grin on his face as he greeted the team's newest addition, albeit only in a new role. "Once you get settled in, come and see me and we'll lay out a game plan for your training." He said as he turned and headed for his office to go over the mountains of never ending paperwork, files to be reviewed, and consults to be returned.

"Okay" JJ nodded at Hotch over her shoulder as she followed Spence into the bullpen area. "Spence…" JJ's voice faltered as Spence stopped at the desk across the aisle from Morgan's and facing his own. "This is Emily's desk…"

Spence leaned in to whisper in her ear. "And when she comes back, you can give it back to her."

JJ nodded in understanding as she ran her hand over the edge of the desk, then she sat down. Spence pulled up a seat next to her and started walking her through some theory. Seeing as she'd been around the team and seen them at work for so many years, not to mention the unofficial profiling she'd always done when selecting where the team should go, she caught on to the concepts very quickly.

Seaver smiled as she watched Reid walking JJ through some of the very same training she'd undergone when she first officially joined the team. She couldn't believe she'd decided to walk away from this opportunity… from the group of people who felt more like family than her own ever had. She stood up and headed for the stairs to the mezzanine to talk to Hotch before she changed her mind.

Ashley wasn't sure who had pulled strings for her to be here in the unit… but she'd come to realize over her just over six months with the team, that she didn't belong here. She hadn't earned it. Rossi had had a hand in the creation of the unit years ago… Hotch had learned from the original members of the BAU before they all retired… Morgan had spent years as a Police Officer in Chicago and worked his way up through the ranks to the Bomb Squad before he'd even contemplated applying to the FBI and the BAU. Reid had not one, but three PHDs… they'd made exceptions for him to be able to pass the FBI training classes, but he'd developed all those skills in the field from what she'd seen… JJ… yes, JJ was technically a profiler in training, but she'd pick up on it quickly, after all, she'd spent years working with the team and selecting the cases they took.

And what did she bring to the table? She was a rookie FBI Agent, sure her father was a serial killer… but that certainly wasn't a credential she'd share on any resume. The team only knew because of the way she'd joined the team in the first place. She had a lot to learn… and she hoped that the request she was making would put her in a place where she would fit in with the rest of the team and be able to help an awful lot of people. The case last week and seeing just how many people they were too late to help had crushed her… but hopefully by transferring she'd be able to help others and save them before it was too late.

She took a deep breath as she reached the door Hotch's office and knocked. She turned the knob and entered when she heard Hotch's "Come in" from the other side of the door. She closed the door behind her and turned to face Hotch.

Hotch tipped his head. "Seaver, what can I do for you?"

"You um asked that we let you if… I've been thinking that…" Ashley stumbled over herself trying to find the right words to tell her supervisor she'd like to transfer off of his team and onto Andi Swann's.

"Why don't you have a seat and tell me what's on your mind?" Hotch asked with a nod to the seat in front of his desk.

Ashley swallowed and nodded as she stepped up to Hotch's desk and sank into the seat. "Ever since we wrapped up that case last week, I haven't been able to get the stack of unsolved cases out of my mind."

Hotch nodded. "It makes sense. All of the victims weren't that much younger than you."

Ashley nodded and took another deep breath. "I want to… I need to make a difference. I need to know that I make a difference."

"Of course you make a difference Seaver. Think of all the victims we've saved in the time that you've been with the unit." Hotch said, confused about where this conversation was going.

"Even though I'm a rookie, sir, I'm not naïve enough to believe that I earned my way onto this team without someone having pulled strings." Ashley said. "I thought I'd be reassigned quickly after my remedial training period was over… and then I wasn't, so I decided to take advantage of the opportunity to learn as much as I could before my graduation from the Academy. Then, and I still haven't figured out how this happened, I was made an offer to be a regular team member of the BAU… so I decided not to question it and to just go with it… but…I don't fit in. I don't have the education or the experience that everyone else on the team has. I want to transfer to Andi Swann's unit, if she'll have me. I'll have an opportunity to help people who need it and I'll also be able to earn my experience the right way."

Hotch's eyebrows rose on his head. "If you're sure that this is what you want Seaver, I'll contact Andi right away. I know she's always looking for smart capable agents and having worked with you, I'm sure she'll be agreeable."

Ashley nodded, realizing that she was being dismissed, and stood up from her seat.

"Ashley," Hotch called out just as she turned to walk away, "I might not have requested your assignment to this team, but you are a fine agent. I'm sure you'll do great things. Andi will be lucky to have you on her team."

"Thank you, sir." Ashley said with a smile and then turned and headed back out to the bullpen.

Not minutes after Ashley sat back down at her desk across the aisle from Reid, Hotch came out of his office.

"My team in the round table room. We have a case." Hotch called as he moved swiftly towards the conference room.

* * *

><p>Days later, when they were on the jet on the way home, Hotch sat down to speak with Ashley where she sat laughing with Dave. "I spoke with Andi. She's thrilled to have you join her unit. Congratulations Agent Seaver." Hotch said holding his hand out.<p>

"Thank you, sir." Ashley replied.

"Kiddo, what's he talking about?" Dave asked.

Ashley took a deep breath. She hadn't told Rossi what she planned on doing. She was afraid he'd talk her out of it. "I talked to Hotch about transferring to Andi Swann's unit."

Dave nodded, realizing just how affected she'd been by the human trafficking case. "Promise me you'll be careful kiddo."

"You aren't going to try and talk me out of it?" Ashley asked in surprise.

"No, if you think this is what you need to do, then it's what you need to do." Dave replied, understanding just how overwhelming it had to be for a rookie agent to work with this team every day. "But I am going to give you one hell of a send-off… and I want you to promise that you'll stay in touch."

"Do you want to tell everybody now or do you want to wait until we get back to Quantico?" Hotch asked.

"Will Garcia ever forgive me if she isn't there when I tell everyone else that I'm leaving?" Ashley joked.

Dave grinned. "She makes a valid point."

Hotch smirked and nodded. "I'll get everybody together in the conference room when we get back."

* * *

><p>JJ sat in front of her lap top in the corner of the living room. It was the middle of the night on the east coast of the United States, but somewhere in the world it was daytime and due to the need to keep the check-ins with her… and god how she hated the term… asset random, they'd set this one up for the middle of the night.<p>

Seeking HBDWASABAG:

Hey, how's it going? Funny seeing you here again. Fancy a game of scrabble?

Cheeto-Breath:

Of course. I'm good. I wish I could tell you we were making progress. Every avenue seems to hit a dead end.

Seeking HBDWASABAG:

His associates?

Cheeto-Breath:

Nothing. We came up empty on every contact you could think of. Even the money trail leads nowhere.

Seeking HBDWASABAG:

Is the team up to speed?

Cheeto-Breath:

What do you mean 'up to speed'?

Seeking HBDWASABAG:

Do they know about my situation?

Cheeto-Breath:

Yes

Seeking HBDWASABAG:

Knowing how he operates, he's looking for his son

Cheeto-Breath:

How well did you hide him?

Seeking HBDWASABAG:

Pretty well. It will take a while to find him unless you know what you're looking for… but I'm just going to tell you what you need to know

Cheeto-Breath:

Are you sure that's a good idea?

Seeking HBDWASABAG:

Yes because eventually he will find his son and I need you all to protect that little boy since right now I can't.

Cheeto-Breath:

How do you know he'll find him?

Seeking HBDWASABAG:

Because while we were fighting, I told him that his son was alive, hoping that it would buy the time I needed until you could all get to me

Cheeto-Breath:

I…

Seeking HBDWASABAG:

I know…

Cheeto-Breath:

Okay… I'll talk to everybody and we will find him as quick as we can.

Seeking HBDWASABAG:

I know

Cheeto-Breath:

And we'll do everything we can to protect that little boy

Seeking HBDWASABAG:

Tell me something I don't know

Cheeto-Breath:

We bought a house?

Seeking HBDWASABAG:

We as in…

Cheeto-Breath:

Yeah

Seeking HBDWASABAG:

Congratulations

JJ yawned a few minutes later as she signed off her encrypted laptop and put it away, but not before sending herself an encrypted email to work with the information on Declan that Emily had sent her. Hopefully this new information would help them find Doyle so that Emily could come home. She checked the locks on the doors and then went upstairs, eager to crawl back into bed and go back to sleep.

At the top of the stairs, she headed down the hall to peek in on Henry. She smiled at the sight of Sunny sleeping curled up next to Henry. Henry's arm rested on his puppy's back. Then she turned and headed down the hall to the master bedroom where hopefully Spence was getting a good night's sleep.

* * *

><p>Morgan leaned back in his chair as they sat in the round table room, having just finished their briefing for the day. JJ had just finished filling the team in on the latest update from Emily. Morgan nodded. "Okay…this is good. We weren't getting anywhere with tracking Doyle through his associates anyway and Emily's right. Doyle isn't the kind of guy that's going to give up. He'll keep looking for Declan until he finds him. The kid needs protecting."<p>

Rossi nodded. "We need to find out what Declan and the nanny's habits are. That will tell us everything that Doyle would find out from watching them. Then we can decide where to go from there."

Hotch nodded. "Put together a plan and let's go over it today." He said as he looked at Morgan. Then he turned to look at the rest of the team. "I'll be taking off the last few days of this week. I've been assigned to lead an investigative task force in Pakistan."

"Paki…" Garcia trailed off as she attempted to come to grips with how the team appeared to be splintering and shattering and there was nothing she could do to save it.

Morgan wrapped an arm around Garcia's shoulder and rubbed her arm. He too wondered when the blows would stop coming.

"It's only temporary." Hotch reassured the team as he took in their shocked faces around the table. "I've been assured it is a temporary assignment to get the investigative task force up and running. After that, I'll be returning here."

"How soon?" Reid asked.

"Next week, after the 4th." Hotch replied.

"What about Jack?" JJ asked.

"Jessica and I talked about it when I found out. I'll Skype with Jack every day."

* * *

><p>"Do you think he's really okay with this?" Morgan asked as he sat in the bullpen with JJ and Reid, going over consult files.<p>

"If it was me, I don't know how I could do it." JJ replied.

"Do what?" Reid asked.

"Be away from Henry for months at a time and only be able to see him across a computer screen." JJ replied as she turned in her seat to look at Spence.

Reid tipped his head in thought as he tried to place himself in Hotch's shoes for the next few months. "Yeah, that would definitely be hard. I don't think I could do it either."

"Well, look at you pretty boy, all domesticated." Morgan said with a grin.

* * *

><p>"Hey little man!" JJ called out as she knelt down to catch Henry as he pulled his hand free from his Daddy's and ran towards her.<p>

"Moooooommmmmmmmyyyyyyyyy" Henry squealed in delight as he ran into Mommy's arms and wrapped his arms around her. In the last month he switched to Mommy and Daddy instead of Mama and Dada, yet another sign that her baby boy was growing up.

"Were you a good boy for Daddy?" JJ asked as she looked up at Will.

"Uh huh" Henry nodded. "Daddy tay Sunny has a tay at home 'cause dere be wots of peopwe hewe and da fiwewowks be too woud for hew."

"Yeah?" JJ asked as she glanced at Will, who nodded. "Daddy's right. But maybe we can take Sunny to the park so she can run and play with you next weekend. Are you ready to watch some fireworks tonight?" she asked as she stood up with Henry in her arms.

"Uh huh. Dey go boom cshsshshshsshsh" Henry said animatedly as he demonstrated a fireworks blowing up and then falling with his hands.

Spence laughed. "You do that pretty well buddy."

Henry smiled at Uncle Spence and reached for him. JJ handed Henry over to Spence. Then she, Will, and Elle smiled as they watched godson and godfather interact together.

"Unca 'pence?" Henry asked tipping his head thoughtfully as he looked up at his favorite 'Uncle'.

"Yeah Henry?" Spence replied.

"How fiwewowks wowk?" Henry asked.

Will grinned and turned to look at JJ. "He's been asking that all weekend since we watched some fireworks on Saturday. I told him he should ask his Uncle Spencer."

JJ smiled as she watched Spence and Henry with their heads bent together as Spence explained how fireworks worked to Henry.

"So how's life as a profiler JJ?" Elle asked as she looked away from Spencer and Henry to JJ.

"Good…exhausting… I wouldn't want to be anywhere else, but we've had four cases in the last three weeks…" JJ trailed off.

"So life as normal for the BAU then." Elle replied with a nod of her head.

JJ nodded in agreement. "By the way, Will, thanks for being so flexible with the schedule." JJ said glancing over her shoulder at Will.

Will gave a half shrug. "It's no problem."

"Well, thanks all the same." JJ replied as the group walked through the park to pick out their spot to set up camp for the day of Fourth of July festivities.

* * *

><p>JJ laughed as her feet tangled up with Spence's as she tried to steal the ball from him. They fell down with Spence on the bottom and JJ on top. JJ wiped tears of laughter from her eyes as she sat up straddling Spence's belly. "Are you okay baby?"<p>

The small mixed family had decided to play soccer in order to burn off some of Henry's energy. Henry had decided that it should be boys against girls. So it was Mommy and Aunt Elle against Henry, Daddy, and Uncle Spence.

"Ugh… I'm fine." Spence said as he started to sit up, but then Henry decided that piling on Uncle Spence looked like fun. Henry took a flying leap and landed across Uncle Spence's belly just in front of Mommy. "Ooomph" was all that managed to escape Spence's lips as his hands searched for a grip on the squirming toddler.

Henry laughed and giggled as Uncle Spence started to tickle him. "'Top Unca 'pence." He squealed. "Moooooommmmmy make Unca 'pence 'top." He laughed as he squirmed.

JJ smiled and laughed as she watched Henry and Spence roughhouse a bit together. Then she wrapped an arm around Henry's waist.

"Uh oh Henry it looks like Mommy is helping me." Uncle Spence teased as continued wrestling and tickling Henry.

"Nu uh" Henry squealed.

"Yu huh" Uncle Spence replied as he continued his tickle attack.

"Nu uh." JJ said with a grin as she carefully leaned down over Spence, careful not to squish Henry and kissed her boyfriend. Then as she pulled out of the kiss, the fingers of her free hand slid down Spence's side and tickled him mercilessly. "See Henry, Uncle Spence is ticklish too." She said as she showed Henry where to tickle.

Spence laughed until he could barely breathe as his girlfriend and godson's fingers worked over his sides and his belly. "Stop… stop…. I give…. I give…." Spence gasped in between bouts of laughter.

"I don't know, Henry, should we stop?" JJ asked as she looked down at her son.

"He no tay da magic wowds Mommy." Henry replied with a shake of his head.

JJ laughed as she watched Henry continue to tickle his Uncle Spence.

"Wha… what…. Ah" Spence laughed, "magic… words?" he gasped.

"Pease and tank you" Henry replied.

JJ leaned down and pressed a kiss to Henry's head, very proud of her thoughtful little boy. "Okay Henry, let's give Uncle Spence a second." She said taking pity on her boyfriend who had tears streaming down his face from laughing so hard.

"Please and thank you for stopping Henry." Spence sighed, leaning up on his arms after catching his breath.

"You welcome." Henry replied with a grin.

"What about me?" JJ asked with a quirk of her eyebrow.

"Please and thank you for stopping JJ. I love you." Spence replied as he leaned up and gave JJ a quick kiss. He scooped Henry up and gave him a kiss on the head. "I love you too munchkin."

Henry wrapped his arms around Uncle Spence and gave him a big hug. "I wuv you too Unca 'pence."

JJ heart constricted at seeing Henry tell Spence that he loved him. "Well, I love you both." JJ said leaning down and kissing Henry on the head and then kissing Spence softly on the lips.

Will and Elle sat a ways away on the blanket they'd spread out in the shade of a tree to claim their spot in the park for the day, catching their breath as they enjoyed their own private moment while JJ and Spencer had some time with Henry.

* * *

><p>"Wook at dat one" Henry said excitedly pointing as they watched the fireworks light up the night sky.<p>

"I see it baby. It's pretty isn't it?" JJ asked as she turned to look at Henry who was standing next to where she sat staring up at the sky.

"Look there goes another one!" Will said pointing out the flash of light moving across the sky to his son from where he sat next to him.

A loud BOOM sounded as the firework exploded.

"Whoa" Henry said his eyes wide as he took in the quick succession of fireworks exploding in sequence one after another.

Spence winced as the fireworks exploded above them, but smiled as he watched Henry's excitement at seeing the fireworks and decided that the headache the fireworks were giving him was worth it to see Henry so happy and excited.

"Hey, look at that one Henry," Spence said as he leaned back on his elbows on JJ's other side. "What color is that one?" the godfather asked his godson.

"Wed!" Henry answered excitedly.

"You are Mommy's smart little man aren't you?" JJ asked as she turned and kissed Henry on the side of his head, appreciating the family time together over the holiday as they continued to watch the fireworks explode in the sky.

* * *

><p>"Okay, got everything?" Will asked as he finished folding up the blanket. The fireworks had finished and a very tired Henry had promptly passed out.<p>

I think so as JJ glanced in her bag and then at Spence who was holding a sound asleep two year old little boy.

Will nodded. "Okay, do you need help getting everything to the car?"

"Actually we took the metro," JJ replied with a grin, "but I think we're good."

"Alrigh', we'll drop Sunny off in the morning." Will replied with a nod. "Night jumpin' bean. I'll see you tomorrow." Will whispered as he pressed a kiss to Henry's head. He stepped back and nodded at Spencer at then at JJ. "Alrigh' have a good night and we'll see you in the morning." Will shrugged as he found Elle's hand and interlocked their fingers and stuffed his other hand into the pockets of his shorts.

Elle smiled, "Goodnight."

JJ and Spence stood watching as Will and Elle walked away and then JJ turned to Spence. "Ready to go home?"

"Definitely" Spence replied and turned to follow JJ towards the metro stop to head home.

JJ wrapped her arm around Spence's waist and rested her head on his shoulder as they walked. "So, how bad is your headache?" she asked as she glanced up at her boyfriend.

Spence sighed and turned his head to look down at JJ briefly. "I was hoping you wouldn't notice."

JJ rubbed her hand over his waist. "Well I did, but you did a pretty good job of hiding it. I don't think Will or Elle noticed. Hopefully a good night's sleep will fix it. I'm sure Henry is looking forward to playing with his Uncle Spence tomorrow, but promise me that if you don't feel well tomorrow that you'll say something. I don't want you to feel like you have to be quiet about not feeling well."

Spence nodded as they reached the metro platform and then leaned down to kiss her. "Promise."

"Good" JJ replied and gave him another quick peck before they stepped on the train headed home.

* * *

><p>Rossi shook his head. "You are a natural at this JJ." He said as he looked over the profiles that she'd put together impeccably. "You don't have your boyfriend doing your homework for you, do you?" he asked jokingly.<p>

JJ laughed. "No. He helps me study, but he doesn't do my homework for me."

Rossi smiled and nodded. "Well you are moving the quickest through this material that I've ever seen. At this rate you'll have the course finished and be ready for your case rotation by the end of the summer. Any questions so far?"

"No, but then it probably helps that I lived the immersion course for the better part of the last eight years." JJ replied with a smile.

"This is true." Rossi replied. "So I guess we better get back to it. Since it's looking like we're going to be in town tonight, rumor has it there might be a short blonde guy that would like to spend the night with you."

JJ laughed and shook her head as she opened her books and her notepad to over the next bit of the course with Rossi.

Rossi frowned as his phone rang and he picked it up. "Rossi. Yeah… I see… alright… I'll let them know." He set the receiver down and looked at JJ. "Looks like I spoke to soon."

JJ sighed. "Well at least it's Will's week with Henry this week anyway."

* * *

><p>Morgan stretched as he sat at his desk wrapping up the paperwork for the last three cases the team had back to back to back. They just arrived home after the better part of a week and a half on the road.<p>

They finished a case in Little Rock and no sooner had they boarded the plane than Rossi had gotten a call from Straus redirecting them to Indianapolis. From Indianapolis they'd gone to Portland Oregon. They'd managed to wrap that case up last night, well the middle of the night anyway, and sleep on the jet on the way home. Rossi had been specific in his instructions. Finish your paperwork for the three cases and then get the hell out of the office for the next few days and take a long weekend.

No way in hell was Morgan going to argue with that. He was just contemplating how to spend his long weekend when a blonde haired blue eyed tech goddess appeared in his doorway.

"Hey hot stuff. Feel like going to happy hour to blow off some steam?" Garcia asked as she sucked on her lollipop.

Morgan shook his head. "Baby girl, why do I get the feeling that going to happy hour with you will only give me more steam to blow off?" Morgan said and then looked at his watch. "Besides, happy hour was about two or three hours ago." He said as he noted that it was closing in on 9 pm.

"Come on my chocolate god… you know you want to." Garcia replied as she wiggled her eyebrows. "We'll get Reid and JJ to go with us… it'll be fun. Maybe we can even get Rossi to come with."

Morgan shook his head as he stood up from his desk. "You go ask Rossi and I'll meet you in the bullpen?"

"Deal. See you in a few." Garcia replied and the stepped back out of Morgan's office to head down the mezzanine to Rossi's office.

"You know pretty boy, if I didn't know better, I'd think you were standing behind JJ like that so you could see down her shirt." Morgan joked as he walked down the stairs from the mezzanine and into the bullpen, where Reid was standing behind JJ rubbing her shoulders while they worked on her last case file.

JJ glanced up at Morgan and flipped him off.

Morgan laughed and held his hands up in the air as he leaned his hip against JJ's desk. "Garcia's talking to Rossi about going for a drink. Are you guys in? Blow off a little steam before the long weekend?"

JJ tipped her head back to look at Spence to see what he thought. Spence looked down at JJ, and tipped his head to the side as they made eye contact, silently communicating with each other as they held eye contact.

Spence turned to look at Morgan as they broke eye contact. "Sure, why not?"

* * *

><p>"So what do you all have planned for your time off over the next few days?" Rossi asked as their waitress set food and drinks in front of them all.<p>

"We're going to go pick Henry and Sunny up tomorrow morning and spend a few days just being at home." JJ replied.

Rossi turned to look at Reid just as he took a bite of his cheeseburger. "And you?"

Reid quickly chewed and swallowed. "What? JJ already told you what we were doing."

Rossi shook his head. "I just thought you might have some special plans."

"Oh… uh… I haven't thought about it… but I'm sure we'll think of something fun to do." Reid replied as he turned to smile at JJ.

JJ returned the smile as they continued talking about anything but work.

* * *

><p>JJ laughed and leaned into Spence's side as Morgan told a story about renovating one of the first house he'd finished off.<p>

"So I cut the opening for the stair frame and then I climbed up into the attic so I could nail the stair frame to the ceiling joists and secure the pull down stairs. My buddy stayed down on the floor to hold the stair frame unit in place while I nailed it to the joists in the attic.

"I got everything all nailed in place… it was the last finishing piece before my buddy and I could sell the house. Then I tell him to pull the string and open the stairs so I can come back down. So he pulls on the cord, but the stairs won't open. That was how we learned that they nail the door shut to the frame when they ship them so that they don't move around."

Rossi's eyes twinkled as he laughed. "So you nailed yourself into the attic?"

Morgan laughed "Yeah… my buddy panicked and called 911. The 911 operator thought he was kidding and hung up on him. After three calls to 911 they finally sent a rescue unit. They had to use a chainsaw to cut a hole in the ceiling so I could get out."

Rossi gripped his sides as he roared with laughter at the thought of Morgan having to be rescued for building himself into the attic. JJ wiped tears of laughter from her eyes. Spence grinned.

Garcia continued laughing as she stood up. "I'm going to go ask our lovely waitress to bring us another round of drinks."

Morgan grinned and turned to watch Garcia walked up to the bar, the dance floor momentarily catching his eye before he turned back to Rossi, JJ, and Reid.

"Oh no… no… no…no…" Reid said his eyes going wide a few minutes later.

"What, what is it pretty boy?" Morgan asked in confusion about what could be wrong.

"Garcia is talking to the DJ." Reid said as he turned to look at Morgan.

"And that is my cue to leave for the night." Rossi said as he stood up and headed over to the bar where their waitress stood talking to the bar tender.

"Baby girl what did you do?" Morgan asked as Garcia rejoined them at the table.

"What?" Garcia asked innocently.

"Spence saw you over talking to the DJ." JJ replied mirthfully.

Just then the opening chords of 'Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy' came over the speakers.

Garcia shrugged. "What can I say; these cowboys look like just the cowboys to save our horses. Come on hot stuff, let's show 'em how it's done." She said as she grabbed Morgan's hand and dragged him onto the dance floor.

Morgan laughed and raised his hand twirling Garcia as they hit the dance floor.

JJ turned to look at Spence. "So want to help me save a horse cowboy?"

"JJ…"

"Please?" JJ asked as she kissed his chin, along his jaw, and then she nuzzled his ear. "I promise you won't regret it." She breathed in his ear.

"I was already going to say okay… but now how could I refuse?" Spence asked his eyes twinkling as he stood up from his seat.

JJ smiled and took Spence's hand and led him down onto the dance floor.

"Look at you pretty boy! I didn't know you could dance." Morgan yelled from where he and Garcia were dancing next to JJ and Reid.

Reid just shrugged and turned back to JJ who had a very large grin on her face.

"Save a horse, ride a cowboy!" JJ sang as she slipped her fingers through Spence's belt and pulled him close. Then she leaned up and kissed him as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Morgan whistled and then laughed as Garcia swatted his arm. JJ and Reid were oblivious as they continued to dance.

* * *

><p>Morgan laughed, his arm around Garcia as they walked out of the bar. "You need a ride home baby girl?"<p>

"That would be great!" Garcia nodded enthusiastically after having had more than a few drinks.

"How about you pretty boy? You okay to drive you and JJ home?" Morgan asked as he turned to look at Reid who had his arm around JJ, who also had more than a few drinks and was just slightly tipsy. He grinned as he watched JJ get a little handsy with her boyfriend. Yeah, his boy was definitely getting lucky tonight.

"Yeah… I'm fine. I've been drinking water all night." Reid replied.

"Alright man. Drive safe. I'll see you guys on Monday." Morgan replied as he started leading Garcia off to his SUV.

Garcia, realizing that they were leaving now, called out her goodbyes to JJ and Reid over her shoulder. "Goodnight peaches… goodnight junior g-man… goodnight goldilocks… goodnight gorgeous gray matter…. goodnight…"

Morgan laughed. "You been watching the Waltons? You gonna say goodnight to Jon boy too?"

Garcia turned to look at Morgan. "Are you saying you want me to start calling you Jon boy?" She asked slightly confused.

"Baby girl," Morgan laughed with a shake of his head. "Promise me that you won't ever change."

"I promise I won't ever change," Garcia said with a shake of her head, "but only because you asked me not to my chocolate stud muffin."

"Come on baby girl. Let's get you home to bed." Morgan said with a chuckle. _'Thank god she'll be Kevin problem tomorrow morning when she wakes up with a hangover.'_ He thought as he led his tipsy best friend across the parking lot.

"Bye Garcie! Bye Morgan!" JJ called back.

Spence led JJ to her car and leaned her against the car as he opened the passenger side door for her.

JJ wrapped her arms around Spence's waist and buried her face in his neck and proceeded to give her boyfriend a hickey as her hands squeezed his ass.

Spence groaned and then slid his hand behind him and grabbed JJ's hands. "Babe we need to get home."

JJ winked at Spence and then turned and slid into the passenger seat and buckled herself in as Spence closed the passenger side door. She could wait until they got home to pounce.

* * *

><p>"How much longer are we going to have to wait for Doyle to find Declan do you think?" Morgan asked the team sat in the briefing room going over the case files they were working on; JJ's training plan for the week; and the progress, or lack there-of on getting position on Doyle.<p>

"If we can't track him through the money or through his contacts this is our best shot." Rossi replied. "We have to be careful not to spook him as well. He has to know we're looking for him. We have to play this smart. The worst thing in the world would be to have him in our sights and for him to get away. We might only have one shot at this. For Emily's sake, we can't afford to screw this up."

"He has to be close by though right?" JJ asked. "He knew where Emily lived. Em told him that Declan was alive. He'd know that she'd want to be close by Declan in order to make sure he was safe right?"

Reid shrugged. "It's hard to say. This is the same man who was convinced that Emily had included Declan in the profile and let him be killed."

"Yeah, but she didn't." Garcia replied adamantly.

"Baby girl, Reid knows that. He's just making the point that Doyle didn't get inside Emily's head as much as she got inside his head." Morgan said as he laid a reassuring hand on Garcia's shoulder.

"This is just so frustrating. I want Emily to come home. I miss her." Garcia huffed in frustration.

"We all miss her and want her to come home Pen." JJ replied. "But before that can happen we have to make sure it's safe for her."

"I know… it just super sucks… you know?" Garcia complained as they all looked over everything once again to make sure there wasn't anything they were missing.

* * *

><p>"Henry are you ready to get out soon?" JJ asked as she watched Henry swim around in his wading pool like a fish.<p>

"I don't wanna get out Mommy. I wike da watew." Henry replied as laid on his belly in the pool.

"I know you do little man, but if you don't get out of the pool and dry off, we won't be able to go the movies." JJ explained.

"We goin' to da movies?" Henry asked.

"Mm hm. We'll get to sit in the car and watch a couple movies on a really big screen. But first you have to get out of the pool and we have to have dinner." JJ explained.

"Otay. I get out." Henry said as he rolled over to sit up.

At that moment Sunny came bounding in the backyard, Spence had taken her for a walk and they'd just gotten back. Sunny decided that the pool looked lovely and inviting and ran towards her master seated in the pool. Once she reached the wading pool, she took a puppy sized leap and landed in the middle, excited to play in the water with her best friend and master.

JJ laughed as she watched Sunny, now completely soaking wet, give Henry doggy kisses. Henry, for his part, giggled and wrapped his arms around his puppy. "Hey" JJ said turning to kiss Spence as he walked up next to her, Sunny's leash in hand. "How was your walk?"

"Good" Spence replied. "Do you want me to make dinner?" Spence asked as he looked at Henry and Sunny playing together in the wading pool. "Then Henry and Sunny can play in the pool for a little bit longer."

"That would be great baby." JJ replied.

In the course of the next couple of hours, dinner was made and consumed, Henry and Sunny were dried off, Henry was dress in pjs, and then Spence, JJ, and Henry climbed in the car to go to the drive-in movie theater.

When they got to the drive-in, Spence set the radio station. Henry watched with big eyes as Mommy took his car seat out of the back seat and put it in the back of the SUV so that they could all seat on the back seat together since it was a bench seat.

JJ and Spence scooted to the middle of the bench seat and Henry lounged, cuddled in their laps as they watched 'Cars 2'. He dozed off just as intermission started.

"This is really fun. I've never been to a drive-in before." Spence said with a grin as he turned to look at JJ.

JJ smiled as she leaned in to nuzzle against Spence's ear. Of course Spence had never been to a drive-in before. "Next time we'll get a sitter and I'll show you the best part about a date at the drive-in." she murmured, teasingly tugging on his ear lobe with her teeth and then kissing him on the cheek.

Spence shook his head as he turned to look at JJ. "I can't wait." He whispered against her lips just before he kissed her.

They both smiled at Henry mumbling in his sleep as they pulled apart. Together they shifted Henry onto the bench seat by himself with his pillow and blanket so that he could sleep comfortably stretched out across the back seat, while they moved to the front seats of the car. Spence sat in the passenger seat, reclining back slightly with his feet out the window. JJ sat in his lap with her feet resting on the dashboard as they cuddled together and watched the second movie.

* * *

><p>"Oh my god, oh my god" Garcia said, her eyes opening wide in shock as she went over the security feeds they had on Declan's home. She picked up her phone and called Morgan. "It's him. I'm pretty sure it's him… I mean he's not like posing for the camera or anything, but…."<p>

"Garcia, Garcia, calm down. We'll be right there to take a look." Morgan replied as he stood up from his desk and headed down the mezzanine and knocked on Rossi's open office door to roust him and JJ out of a training session. The group passed through the bullpen, grabbing Reid, who had just returned from the firing range, on their way to Garcia's den of digital dominance.

Once the team was gathered in her office, she showed them the feed.

"That is definitely him." Rossi replied as they watched the feed from the security came for a third time.

"Garcia, can you pull the plate off the car he's driving?" Morgan asked as he pulled his cell phone of the clip on his belt. "Maybe we can use that to locate him."

"Where are you going?" Reid asked as Morgan stepped away from the screens.

JJ and Rossi turned to look at Morgan, while Garcia continued to work on isolating the plate number on the car Doyle was driving, her fingers flying furiously over the keyboard as she enchanted the keys to dance to the tune of the spell she was weaving.

"I'm gonna call Hotch so he's in the loop." Morgan replied as he looked between Reid, JJ, and Rossi.

Reid, JJ, and Rossi nodded in synchronization with each other and then turned to watch over Garcia's shoulder as bit by bit the license plate number became more legible on the Garcia's screen.


	18. Chapter 18

Once again, I find myself needing to apologize for how long this chapter took - hopefully the fact that they are both long chapters makes up for how long you've all been waiting! As I'm sure you're aware - chapters 18 involve the events of 'It Takes A Village' - hence why they are so long and why they took so long - there was a lot of material to cover... and I wanted to make sure it flowed right... I hope you enjoy them...

Thanks to all of you who nominated 'The Road Not Taken' for 'Best Het Romance' in the Profiler's Choice 2012 Fanfic Awards... and also thanks to all of you who nominated 'The Road Before Us' for 'Best JJ/Reid'. I'm honored that you think the stories are deserving of awards.

The ballot is up now - so make sure to take time to go and vote for all of your favorites.

* Profiler's Choice 2012 Fanfic Awards for the Criminal Minds Community *

Hosted by ilovetvalot and tonnie2001969 and hxchick

_It is our pleasure to announce the Third Annual Profiler's Choice Fanfic Awards for the Criminal Minds community!_

_The final voting ballot is now available on Chit Chat on Author's Corner forum at the 2012 Profiler's Chioce CM Awards thread.  
><em>

_Please read all rules before sending in your final ballot. Incorrect ballots will be immediately and completely disqualified._

That's enough rambling from me... I know you didn't click on the nifty link to read a big long author's note... on with the chapter... oh yeah... I don't own Criminal Minds... don't own it...can't afford it... not mine.

Happy reading and enjoy :D

* * *

><p>"Now what are we supposed to do." Spence said as he followed JJ into the house and hung up his messenger bag.<p>

JJ sighed as tucked her things away as well. "You make it sound like we should be putting our affairs in order."

"JJ we're on administrative leave for the next two weeks until we go before a Congressional Committee for an investigative hearing on how we handled the Doyle case over the last few days. What would you call it?"

JJ took Spence's hand and dragged him to sit down on the couch with her. "Do you think we could have handled it any differently? That there was anything that we missed?"

Spence shook his head. "No… but why are you so calm?"

JJ flopped back against the couch cushions. "Oh, this isn't calm. This is just the eye of the storm. I'm holding all of my panic back for when I actually have to sit in front of the committee."

Spence nodded as he relaxed back into the couch. "I'd prefer to get it all out of my system now."

JJ tried to think of how to get Spence's mind off of their impending hearing before a Congressional Committee. "So…" JJ said as she turned look at Spence, "wanna get drunk and naked? We have a whole bunch of places to christen in the house still."

Spence laughed. "Thanks. I needed that." he said as he wiped a tear from the corner of his eye from laughing so hard.

JJ twisted and rose up on her knees to straddle Spence. "It was good to hear you laugh." She said running her fingers over his jaw line as she stroked his face. "You know you can get away with not shaving or a few days now."

Spence smirked as he turned and kissed JJ's palm. "What exactly is it about me with a five o'clock shadow that you like?"

"I keep telling you, it's sexy." JJ replied rubbing her thumb over his lower lip. Then she leaned in to kiss him. "Mm" JJ moaned into his lips, "you know… maybe my idea before wasn't such a bad idea…" she murmured against his lips.

"Well we do have a couple of bottles of wine…" Spence spoke as JJ pulled back to look at him.

"Hm, maybe later." JJ purred as she played with the knot of his tie and leaned down to kiss him again.

"Mm" Spence moaned into the kiss, and then pulled away just enough to be able to speak, "I thought the plan was to get drunk and then get naked."

JJ leaned in and kissed him again, her fingers loosening the knot of his tie and then beginning to unbutton his shirt. "Change in priorities… and I was kidding about the getting drunk anyway... right now I just want to get you naked… and christen our living room."

"That… mm… that works too.'' Spence moaned, his hands sliding up and down her back as JJ nibbled on his pulse point while she undid the knot of his tie.

* * *

><p>JJ lay stretched across Spence's body, her chin resting on his chest as she watched him sleep. With his headaches, he hadn't been getting much sleep on regular basis, but somehow he was coping. As dusk settled through the living room with the setting sun, JJ realized that they should probably eat something and reached for Spence's shirt. She kissed his forehead before standing up, and slipped into his shirt, buttoning up as she padded barefoot into the kitchen.<p>

She grabbed a glass from the cupboard and filled it with cold water. She stood watching out the window and got lost in her thoughts, allowing them to overtake her as she sipped from her glass. All the thoughts that she been focused on distracting Spence from, hit her now. What would they do now? A two week suspension? What if they weren't reinstated? What would they do? There was the house… and she certainly didn't want to go back to the Pentagon… there was always the private sector… but that wasn't what she wanted either…The questions went on and on, each stacking on top of the last. JJ set her glass of water down on the counter, her fingers gripping the edge of the sink tighter as her thoughts spiraled downward like water circling a drain.

"Hey," Spence said softly as he wrapped his arms around her waist, not wanting to startle his girlfriend, "you're thinking way too hard. Maybe we should have gotten drunk then we'd be passed out together in front of the fireplace right now." He said as his head dipped down to kiss her shoulder.

JJ turned her head towards Spence, her forehead resting against his neck. "You were right. What are we going to do?"

Spence shook his head. "No, you were right. I don't think there's anything that we could have done differently… and I have to believe we'll be reinstated, but if we aren't, then we'll deal with it together." He said as his hands ran soothing circles across her waist.

"What made you so calm?" JJ asked.

"My very smart girlfriend mentioned something about priorities," Spence replied as he kissed her temple, "which made me realized that what's important is that Emily is home safe and sound, we didn't lose anybody, we saved Declan, and four international criminals with terrorist ties are gone. That's what's important. I know we don't want to have to start new careers, but if we had to at least we'll have each other… and all of that is what's important. There's nothing that this Congressional Committee can throw at us that can take away any of what's really important."

JJ turned in Spence's arms and wrapped her arms around him as she laid her head on his chest as they stood lost in their thoughts about what was really important and how much they were both wishing that the next two weeks were already over.

* * *

><p>"Hey Spence?" JJ asked as they sat at the bar in the kitchen, eating breakfast, sipping tea, and reading the paper the next morning.<p>

"Yeah JJ?" Spence said as he sat down the section of the paper he was reading and turned to look at JJ.

"How about if we go visit your Mom for a few days?" JJ asked, biting her lip as she turned to look at Spence. "I have some frequent flyer miles that we can use… and I'm sure Will won't mind us going away with Henry for a few days… and it will help us get our minds off of the hearing."

Spence nodded. "Are you sure you want to… I never know if she's having a good day or…"

JJ laid the newspaper down on the countertop and rested her chin on her hand as she looked at Spence. "I know baby, but even if your Mom only has one good day while we're there, you'll have gotten to see her and you can show Henry and I the sights… you know how much he'll love the plane ride." She replied with a smile.

Spence grinned. "That is true. Okay… if you're sure."

"I am. I'll talk to Will about it when we pick Henry up and then we can book everything when we get home."

* * *

><p>"What 'bout Sunny?" Henry asked as Mommy told him about taking a trip to visit Uncle Spence's Mommy in Las Vegas.<p>

"Sunny can't come with little man. She wouldn't have fun having to stay in a kennel the whole time at the hotel." JJ said as she kissed the top of her son's head.

Henry pouted. "But I miss her."

"I know you will, but just think how excited she'll be to see you when we get back. Plus I bet Daddy and Aunt Elle will be glad to have Sunny to keep them company while we're gone." JJ said as she glanced over at Will and Elle who sat nearby.

JJ and Spence had shown up mid-morning to pick up Henry and Sunny. JJ had brought up a trip to Vegas with Will. Then together, as the mixed family they now all made up, they were discussing the logistics of the trip.

"Your Momma's right jumpin' bean. The trip wouldn't be too fun for Sunny. Sunny can keep me and Aunt Elle company while you, your Momma, and Uncle Spencer take your trip. I promise I'll bring her over as soon as y'all get home." Will said leaning down to make eye contact with his son.

"Otay" Henry replied as he turned to look up at Mommy. "We go see you Mommy Unca 'Pence?"

Spence nodded. "Yeah Henry, we're going to see my Mommy. Plus we'll get to do a bunch of fun stuff while we there and ride on a plane to get there."

"I wike pwanes!" Henry replied, excited about the prospect of another plane ride.

* * *

><p>"Hello Dr. Norman." Spence said as he, JJ, and Henry ran into him on their way to the lounge at Bennington to visit Diana.<p>

"Ah, I heard you were here." Dr. Norman said with a smile as they shook hands. "And who do we have here?" he asked as he smiled at Henry.

"This is my girlfriend JJ and her son Henry." Spence said, making the introductions. "JJ, Henry this is Dr. Norman."

"Hello, it's nice to meet you." Dr. Norman said with a nod of his head as he shook JJ's outstretched hand.

"Hello" JJ replied as she shook the doctor's hand.

"Hi!" Henry greeted from his perch on Mommy's hip.

Dr. Norman smiled, happy to see the young man he'd watched grow up over the last almost twelve years was developing a life beyond his work. "I know Diana will be excited to see you. I have a meeting to get to, but it was good to see you."

Spence nodded as he watched Dr. Norman walk away for a moment, then he turned and took JJ's hand and headed for the armchair where his mother sat reading.

Spence stood silently, waiting for his mother to notice that they were there, silently hoping that today was a good day.

After a few moments, Diana lifted her head to see who or what was causing the shadow that was falling across the pages of her book. "Spencer, what are you doing here?" she asked as she looked up and saw that it was her tall and too skinny son casting the shadow across the pages of her book. "And you must be Jennifer and Henry."

Spence smiled and nodded.

JJ's eyes went wide with surprise; she hadn't expected Diana to know who she or Henry were. "How did you know?"

Diana smiled. "Spencer sent me the loveliest picture of the three of you from when Henry was first born. It's one of my favorite pictures. He was so proud to be a Godfather. Every letter he's written since then has had an update on Henry and on you. Although, it would appear that he's left a detail or two out recently." She said with a knowing glance at Spencer and Jennifer's linked hands.

"Mom…" Spence began to protest.

"How many times do I have to tell you? A mother knows Spencer, a mother knows."

Spence blushed under his mother's knowing gaze. "Henry, this is my Mom, Diana. Can you say hi?" Spence asked as he sat down, pulling JJ down next to him.

Henry nodded eagerly in agreement as Mommy sat down and settled him in her lap. "Hi Unca 'Pence's Mommy!" Henry chirped.

Diana smiled as she leaned forward resting her elbows on, "Hello Henry, aren't you a cute one. How would you like to see pictures of your Uncle Spencer when he was your age?"

"Unca 'Pence was wittle wike me?" Henry asked.

"He most definitely was." Diana replied with a nod as she closed her book.

"Mommy, we go see da pictures of Unca 'Pence?" Henry asked as he turned around in Mommy's lap to look up at her.

"Absolutely little man. Something tells me that Uncle Spence was just as cute as you when he was little." JJ replied.

Spence grumbled unintelligibly under his breath as he stood up.

"Mommy, I walk." Henry said as JJ stood up.

"Okay little man, you can walk but you have to stay close okay?" JJ asked as she set Henry on his feet.

"Uh huh" Henry replied as he looked up at the three adults.

"He really is a handsome young man." Diana said as she looked down at Henry with a fond smile on her face, remembering when her own son had been small. Then she turned to look at Spencer. "Shall we?" she asked as she began to lead the way out of the lounge and down the hall to her room.

Along the way they passed one of the nurses. "Diana, who's this young man? I didn't know you were a grandma now." The nurse said at seeing Diana, her son and what appeared to be his family.

"I'm…" Diana began to explain that she wasn't a grandmother only to be cut off by Henry.

"I Henry!" Henry exclaimed cheerfully.

JJ smiled and squeezed Spence's hand, letting him know to just let it go. "Diana is going to show us pictures of Spence when he was Henry's age." She explained.

Spence nodded politely at the nurse.

"Aww" The nurse replied, "well I'll let you get back to family time then. I'll see you later Diana."

"Mommy? Why she say Unca 'Pence's Mommy gamma?" Henry asked as he turned to look at JJ.

"Well," JJ said with a glance at Diana and Spence, "she thought Uncle Spence was your Daddy because she saw us all together.

"Oh…" Henry's face scrunched up as he tried to work things out in his head. "But Daddy at home and my gammas in heaven."

JJ nodded. "They are." JJ and Will had both made sure to make their parents and her sister a part of Henry's life, even though he'd never meet them. He had their pictures in his room and new about them and that they were watching over him.

Henry bit his lip and then looked up at Diana. "I tall you gamma?"

Spence sucked in a breath and held it as he and his mother both turned to look at JJ, unsure how to answer Henry's question.

JJ's eyes went wide for a moment and then a soft smile crossed her face. "I'm sure that would be okay, as long as Uncle Spence and Diana are both okay with it."

Diana's hand rested on her chest. "I would be honored." She replied as she looked back and forth between Jennifer and Spencer.

"JJ…" Spence managed to whisper, "are you sure? What about Will? I…"

JJ nodded and moved closer to Spence as she looked up at him. "Spence, Henry will never get to have a relationship with my Mom or Will's Mom… if he wants to call Diana grandma, its okay. I know my Mom wouldn't mind… and I don't think Will will mind either." JJ whispered.

Spence leaned down and rested his forehead against JJ's. "Thank you." he managed to utter through the emotion of the moment. He'd known that they were slowly becoming a family… but this moment made him realize just how much of a family they'd become in the last several months.

"We go now?" Henry asked as he looked up at Diana and pulled on her hand.

Diana laughed. "Yes, I promised you pictures of your Uncle Spencer didn't I?"

"Uh huh" Henry nodded and then turned to look at Mommy and Uncle Spence. "We see wittle Unca 'Pence now."

JJ laughed. "Okay little man. Let's go." She said as she took Spence's hand and they followed behind Diana and Henry down the hall to Diana's room and a treasure trove of memories of a young Spencer Reid. JJ grinned. She was hoping the pictures of a bare baby Spence on a bear skin rug made an appearance.

* * *

><p>JJ glanced over at Henry playing with his trucks over in the corner of the living room with his cars and trucks. "You having fun little man?"<p>

"Uh huh" Henry nodded and then went back to making car and truck noises as he drove them across the carpet.

JJ smiled and bent down, putting her yoga DVD in the DVD player so she could get a workout in.

Spence entered the room as bit later and paused as he watched JJ contort herself into the posture and poses being performed on screen. He stood watching in silent appreciation for a few moments. "How can you do that?" he asked as he stood behind JJ watching as she moved from downward dog to half downward dog to low warrior to modified side angle to tree all within a matter of minutes as she held the poses and then moved onto the next.

JJ grabbed the remote and hit pause as she turned to look at Spence from her current pose. "Why don't you join me baby? Maybe it will help with your headaches."

Spence looked at JJ in stunned disbelief that she would ask him to try yoga. He didn't think it was possible for his body to bend into the position the yoga instructor on the TV screen was frozen in. Then he gave a shrug and stepped towards JJ. He was willing to try just about anything to see if it helped his headaches at this point. "Is there something easier we can start with?" he asked with a nod towards the TV.

JJ glanced at the TV and saw the hip stretching move that the yoga instructor was doing. "Don't worry baby, we'll have you there in no time." She said as she hit the menu button and selected an easier yoga regime that she and Spence would be able to do together.

As the yoga class started on the screen, JJ showed Spence the maneuver the onscreen instructor was doing and then helped him to get into each of the positions.

"Is it supposed to feel like this?" Spence asked as he got into the next position.

"Like what?" JJ asked as she turned to look at Spence from her plank position.

"Weird… awkward…" Spence replied not looking at JJ since he was afraid he of losing his balance.

JJ smiled. "It's just your body getting used to being stretched. Being flexible is a good thing… for more than one reason." She winked at him.

As they did caterpillar and moved into modified cobra, Spence turned to see Henry watching them.

"What you doing?" Henry asked.

"According to your Mommy," Spence panted, "working out."

JJ chuckled. "Said the man who's breaking a sweat and trying to catch his breath right now."

"I do it too?" Henry asked as he sat his truck down on the floor and then bent over to touch his toes like Mommy. He followed her as she stood back up, but while she slowly rose up out of the pose, Henry popped up like a jack in the box.

Spence watched in awe as JJ lifted her body into a half shoulder stand and then moved into plough position. She held it for a few minutes and then moved back into a half shoulder stand.

"Unca 'Pence help me do dat!" Henry said looking up at Uncle Spence from watching Mommy.

"I don't think we should Henry… I think we might hurt ourselves if we try and do what Mommy just did." Spence replied as he looked down at Henry.

"I'm all done now anyway little man." JJ said as she sat up, cross legged and grabbed Henry pulling him into her lap and pressing kisses all over his face.

"Mommy 'top it!" Henry squealed as he struggled against Mommy's grip. He calmed as JJ stopped with the kisses.

"Did you have fun doing yoga with Mommy and Uncle Spence?" she asked as she ran her fingers through her son's soft blonde locks.

"Uh huh" Henry nodded.

JJ glanced at the clock. "How about I go shower and change? Then we can have lunch and take Sunny to the park."

"Yay!" Henry cheered. "You hear Mommy Sunny? We go to da park!" Henry said as he crawled across the living room floor to where Sunny was chewing on her bone.

Sunny gave a happy playful yap to her master and nuzzled his face as he gave her a hug.

* * *

><p>"Hey, I thought I was supposed to be the one with trouble sleeping." Spence said as he rolled on his side to look at JJ who was laying staring at the ceiling.<p>

JJ sighed and turned to look at her boyfriend. "I just can't stop thinking about tomorrow."

Spence scooted closer and wrapped his arms around his girlfriend pulling her up against him. "You need to sleep JJ. You're the one that keeps telling me whatever's going to happen is going to happen."

JJ sighed as she leaned back to rest her head against Spence's shoulder. "It's easy to say that, but it doesn't make it any less stressful."

Spence dipped his head and kissed JJ's shoulder as he softly caressed her belly. "You know studies have shown that the endorphins and oxytocin that are released during intercourse activate pleasure centers in the brain and create feelings of intimacy and relaxation that help stave off anxiety and depression." He said as his fingers traced the edge of her pajama pants.

"Spence… baby, we really need to sleep." JJ half moaned, half panted as his fingers slipped under the waistband of her pajama pants and began to tease her.

Spence kissed his way up the column of her neck and proceeded to nuzzle and nibble at her ear. "The same endorphins that help de-stress can also relax your mind and body, priming you for sleep." His fingers slid through her moist channel, continuing to tease her and drive her higher. "Plus during an orgasm, the hormone prolactin is released. Prolactin levels are naturally higher when we sleep, so…"

JJ turned her head and kissed Spence, stopping his words with her mouth. "Don't tell me. Show me." She murmured against his lips as she relaxed into his embrace, her fingers threading through his fresh haircut as she pulled him back in for another kiss, their tongues tangling in a heated kiss as his fingers continued to work their magic.

* * *

><p>Spence paused with his hand on the door handle of the passenger side door as he turned to look at JJ. "You know we have to get out of the car to catch the train right?"<p>

"Huh?" JJ asked as she was startled out of her thought and turned to look at Spence. "Yeah… I just lost in my thoughts I guess."

Spence nodded, understanding the nerves JJ was experiencing. He was nervous too, but he put on a brave face for his girlfriend. "It's going to be fine JJ. Just pretend they're the media."

JJ turned and flashed a wide smile at Spence and shook her head. "Thank you." she said as she leaned across the center console and gave him a kiss.

"For what?" Spence asked as he leaned back out of the kiss.

"For helping me get to sleep last night…" JJ grinned and winked at Spence, "for just now… for just being you. I love you."

"I love you too," Spence replied as he leaned back in to kiss JJ again, "but we really do have to get going so we can catch the train."

"Okay, okay, let's go." JJ said as she turned and opened her door.

Spence waited for her at the front of the car and then hand in hand they headed into the metro station to catch a train to the Capitol for the team's hearing.

* * *

><p>"Hey" Morgan said with a nod of his hand as JJ and Reid walked up to where the rest of the team stood waiting outside the Capitol for them.<p>

"Hey" JJ responded summoning her nerves of steel now that the moment was almost at hand. It was time to be fearless.

"What do you all say we get this over with?" Rossi asked as he glanced over his shoulder at the imposing building behind them. "I have much better things to do today once this is over with."

"Like smoke cigars and drink Scotch?" Hotch joked in an attempt to lift the weight hanging over everyone as they climbed the stairs.

"Watch your mouth Aaron, or I won't share the hundred year old bottle that I pulled for us to celebrate with later." Dave said as he turned to smirk at Hotch.

"And just what are we going to be celebrating?" Emily asked.

"A couple of things." Rossi replied. "First off there's Emily's return home… and then of course there is either our success during this hearing… or our retirement." Rossi said using dark gallows humor.

* * *

><p>After showing their ID, they were allowed into the hallway of the hearing room by the security guard. They waited no more than a few moments in the seats in the hallway before the doors to the hearing room opened. The team stood as one, prepared to face the inquisition.<p>

The Senate Page looked down at his clipboard. "They'd like to speak with Agent Jareau first."

Spence gave JJ's hand a squeeze for good luck and as a silent I love you. JJ squeezed Spence's hand back, knowing that he understood her silent response. Then she followed the Senate Page into the room and the doors closed behind her.

After taking an oath and swearing on the Bible, JJ sat silently at the table in front of the Congressional panel as they perused the files in front of them for a few moments.

Finally, the Chairman spoke. "And how long have you been back with the Bureau?"

"Three and a half months, sir." JJ replied as she sat stoically at the table her hands clasped in front of her, prepared to answer whatever the Congressmen and women in front of her might ask.

"A lot has happened since then." The Chairman commented. "Transfers, reassignments…five of you remained in the unit?"

"Agents Morgan, Rossi, Reid, and I were there with our Technical Analyst Penelope Garcia." JJ responded as she sat up ramrod straight in the chair, the liaison in her pushing to the fore as she projected and unflappable appearance to the Congressional Committee.

"You had fourteen cases in that time." Chairman Cramer said as he glanced down at the file before him.

"Seventeen, sir." JJ replied.

"Ah, yes. In fourteen weeks." Cramer replied looking down at the file again. "That's impressive."

"Thank you."

"But what's more impressive," Cramer said as he leaned forward resting his arms on the table in front of him, "is that you were reinstated, promoted, and suspended in that short time. Believe that's a record Agent Jareau."

* * *

><p>"Why aren't we in there?" Reid asked as he paced in the hallway. He hated the idea of JJ having to face the committee alone.<p>

"They're just trying to intimidate us." Rossi said from his perch on the arm of one of the benches in the hallway.

"Well that's not about to happen." Morgan said as he stood with his hands in his pockets.

"I'm not okay with this." Garcia said as she stood looking around at the team in the hallway.

"You may not even be a witness." Rossi replied.

"Sir, I'm not worried about me. Don't they have anything better to do then…" she asked as she glanced about.

"Baby girl, this is just what they do." Morgan replied as he looked at Garcia.

"Anything?" Rossi asked as he stood up to see if Erin had been able to find anything out as he saw her come through the security checkpoint and into the hallway outside the hearing room.

"Doesn't look good." Strauss replied with a shake of her head, not happy that she hadn't been able to uncover the real reason for this hearing.

"How long is she going to be in there?" Reid asked as he stood with his arms crossed, wondering what the committee was asking JJ.

* * *

><p>"Two days?" Chairman Cramer asked.<p>

"That's correct." JJ replied.

"How can an investigation be active for just two days when the gathering of intel took months?" Senator Cramer asked as he leaned forward over the microphone, attempting to get to the bottom of just what exactly the team had discovered and how much they really knew. "There is surveillance and hundreds of man hours to prove it."

"Yes, that's true, but…" JJ attempted a rebuttal but was cut off part way through.

"How often do you spend months on a case agent?"

"We don't, but this one was…" JJ began to reply, only to again be cut off.

"Personal?"

"Different." JJ answered. "It required a lot of detail."

"If this was too big for your team, why wasn't it a joint task force?"

"We didn't have time, sir." JJ replied, quickly becoming fed up with Senator Cramer's attitude and attacking manner before he had all of the facts. "Once the subject was confirmed, we had to act quickly." She said as she began to explain how she, Morgan, and the SWAT Team with them had apprehended Doyle at his apartment building.

"Do you realize what you've done?" Senator Cramer asked as he leaned forward once again resting his elbows on the dais.

"Yes, we put an international criminal with terrorist connections in federal custody." JJ replied, having had enough of the Senator's attitude.

"You may consider that a victory, but you used government funds for a personal vendetta and now six people including two of your agents are dead."

"Interpol, Europol, the CIA, no one could locate Ian Doyle except for your team." Senator Cramer continued to interrogate Agent Jareau as he tossed the file down on the bench in frustration.

"Well, it wasn't easy. Doyle disappeared underground." JJ replied.

"It looks like you all spent the first few months following Doyle's arms dealing contacts but came up empty, so how did you find him?"

JJ treaded cautiously as she explained how they'd 'realized' that eventually Doyle would look for his son, so they'd found Declan, set up surveillance, and waited.

* * *

><p>"Hey, how did it go?" Spence asked as JJ sat down on the bench next to him and they watched Morgan head into the hearing room for his turn at being questioned.<p>

JJ gave a noncommittal shrug. "I'll just be glad when it's over and we know the outcome."

"I wish I had testified already." Garcia said as she sat down next to JJ.

"Me too" Emily added as she sat down next to Garcia.

* * *

><p>Morgan stepped out into the hallway, wanting to punch, hit, kick, or break something after dealing with Senator Cramer for the duration of his testimony.<p>

"Technical Analyst Garcia?" the Senate Page said as he called the next witness to testify.

"How did it go?" Emily asked as she slid over next to JJ to make room for Morgan on the bench.

"He's twisted everything I said… if this was really about finding the truth, then wouldn't they let you speak without interrupting, without automatically implying that we did something wrong?" Morgan said angrily as he rubbed his hand over his head and then along the back of his neck as he leaned forward resting his elbows on his knees.

* * *

><p>"That's when Agent Morgan initiated the assault on Ian Doyle?" Senator Cramer asked as he looked over the top of the file at Technical Analyst Penelope Garcia.<p>

"What? No. It doesn't work that way, sir." Garcia replied in shock. "Agent Morgan called Hotch, excuse me, our Unit Chief."

"Who was on temporary duty, I imagine he wasn't easy to find." Senator Cramer replied.

"When the team downsized, he was assigned to lead an investigative task force." Garcia replied as she began explaining how Morgan had made sure that Hotch was in the loop once they'd identified Doyle from the security footage of Declan's home.

_"Hotchner" Hotch answered his phone as he stepped out of the tent, where his team was going over a map of the area and the evidence they had as they reconstructed the evidence they had, and into the hot dessert sun of Pakistan._

_"Hey, it's me." Morgan replied. "How's it going out there?"_

_"Oh, you know," Hotch replied as he turned to watch the Humvee drive through the camp, "long days, some territorial issues to work out. Nothing surprising. How's everything there?"_

_"We've got Doyle on security footage driving past Declan's house." Morgan said. "I wanted to let you know right away so you're up to speed."_

_Hotch nodded as he moved his head watching the goings on in camp from behind his sunglasses. He couldn't afford to let his guard down for one_ _moment. He had to make sure he made it home to Jack. "Alright, I'm coming back."_

_"Do you want me to wait?" Morgan asked._

_"No, but be careful. It could be a trap. You make sure you have eyes on Doyle." Hotch replied._

_"And if it is him?" Morgan asked._

_"Then you take the shot," Hotch replied. "Also, contact Easter at Interpol. Having him in the loop could help us. What's important is catching Doyle, protecting Declan, and getting Emily home. If it means Emily can come home sooner, then I think we're all willing to work with Easter again."_

_Morgan nodded. "Alright. See you soon." He said as he hung up and then redialed his phone to get ahold of Easter._

_"That's all Hotch said, 'Take the shot'?" JJ asked as she and Morgan sat together in the surveillance van outside of Doyle's apartment._

_Morgan nodded as he watched the monitor. "Yeah, that and that what was important was catching Doyle, protecting Declan, and getting Emily home so to call Easter in case he could make those things happen quicker."_

_JJ nodded as she tipped her head as she looked back at the monitors. Then her phone rang. "Hey Spence." She answered after glancing at the caller ID._

_"Can't find him." Spence's voice came across JJ's phone._

_"Wha…what do you mean you can't find him?" JJ asked._

_"The headmaster said Declan got sick and went home." Spence said as he climbed out of the passenger side of the SUV and slammed the door behind him._

_"Ok, uh, call for backup and get to the house."_

_"We're already here."_

_"You see the agents?"_

_"Their car is out front."_

_"The lights are off." Rossi said, pulling out his gun as he walked up the path to the house next to Reid._

_"I'll call you back." Spence said as he hung up and tucked his phone in his pocket and drew his weapon._

_"Wha..no…Spence…" JJ turned to look at Morgan as she hung up her phone._

* * *

><p>A jumpy, fidgety, nervous, and very much not herself, Penelope Garcia exited the hearing chambers and made her way over to the team, followed by the Senate Page.<p>

"Agent Rossi?" the Senate Page asked as he glanced down at his clipboard.

Rossi stood up from his seat and made his way to the doors, pausing briefly for just a moment to rest and hand on Garcia's shoulder as he passed. He patted her shoulder twice, and then he continued through the doors.

Emily stood up from her seat and moved over to where Rossi had been sitting, knowing that PG would need the comfort of her best friend right now. She smiled, glad that she was back with her friends as she watched Morgan wrap his arm around Garcia's shoulders out of the corner of her eye.

* * *

><p>"Have you ever been in field?" Rossi asked Cramer as he leaned back in his seat, spinning his ring on his finger as he sized up the somewhat shady Senator. Dave Rossi was no fool… and he certainly knew a cover up when he saw one. He might not ever be able to prove it, but something wasn't quite right with the level of interest that this Senator was taking in the goings on of the BAU and how they'd apprehended Doyle and saved Declan.<p>

"I have, but I'm not the one on trial agent." Cramer replied.

"Well then maybe you can imagine what it was like for Agent Morgan to find Emily Prentiss dying at the hands of Ian Doyle." Rossi said, pausing for a moment and watching the strange mix of facial expressions that crossed Senator Cramer's face. Interesting. "Now, ask yourself, was it wrong for him to want to take that man out?"

_"I don't know" Doyle said as Morgan questioned him on who could have taken Declan._

_"How long has Agent Morgan been looking for Doyle?" Strauss said as she turned away from the window and the monitor to look at Agent Jareau._

_"The night he killed Prentiss in Boston," JJ replied, glancing briefly at her boss' boss and then back at the window, watching as Morgan continued to press Doyle for information, then, back at Strauss shaking her head, "He refused to believe Doyle just vanished." JJ explained, knowing that the ruse about Emily being dead needed to stay in place until this was over and Doyle was behind bars. Then Emily could come back to her old life._

_"He's been investigating Doyle for seven months?" Strauss asked in shock._

_"Mm hm. We all have." JJ murmured under her breath as she nodded. Then she glanced at Strauss briefly before turning back to watch the interrogation. Then she noted Strauss' shock. "What? Are you surprised?" she asked her eyes sizing up Strauss._

_Strauss took a deep breath and looked back at the window, wondering when the actions that the members of her alpha team took to protect and render justice for each other would stop surprising her._

_"He seems genuine." JJ said as she studied Doyle through the window._

_"Of course he does, he's a master manipulator." Strauss replied in disgust._

_"See his ceratoid?" JJ asked as she looked from the window to the monitor. "His heart started racing when Morgan told him about Declan. The tightness in his forehead," JJ said as she glanced at Strauss, "his darting eyes are signs of real concern."_

_Erin's face softened as she recognized the signs of a parent in distress over their child. She turned back to face the window. "Well, if he didn't take his son, then who did?" she asked as she turned to look at Agent Jareau._

_"I wish I knew ma'am, because if it's somebody who wants something from Doyle, it can't be a good thing." JJ said as she turned to look at Strauss. "I'm going to see if there's anything I can do to help Morgan or Garcia."_

_Strauss nodded as she continued to watch Agent Morgan question Ian Doyle through the observation window. Once again she regretted her decision all of those years ago that allowed her failed relationship with David Rossi to drive her towards a desk assignment instead of pursuing a career as a field agent and a possible assignment with the BAU. She could recite the rules, the guidelines, the stipulations, but she would never be able to dissect someone's uncontrollable actions the way Agent Jareau just had and explain what it meant. She wondered how different things could have been if she'd stayed the course with becoming a field agent… thoughts for another time she mused as she continued watching the interrogation._

_Rossi peaked into the room, and noted that Erin was watching the interrogation alone. He opened the door and silently slipped in next to her._

_"He didn't do it." Erin said as she rested her chin on the thumbs of her clasped hands._

_"Nope." Dave replied._

_Erin took a deep breath and released all of her confusion and frustration in one breath. "What the hell is going on here?!" she asked in a raised tone of voice as she spun to look at David._

_Dave turned his experienced profilers' eyes on Erin, noticing how unlike her usual reserved self she was, wondering and pondering what the reason for the difference was, wishing not for the first time that he'd been a wiser man 24 years ago._

_"What?" Erin asked as she noticed the way David was looking at her, her eyes running up and down the frame of the man she'd been engaged to once upon a time._

_Dave ran his eyes up and down Erin once more for good measure, attempting to get a read on her, "Nothing." he said and then turned back to the window, watching Doyle being interrogated._

_"Has Aaron landed?" Erin asked, focusing on not looking at David again._

_"He's on his way." Dave replied, staring straight ahead._

_"Good." Erin replied and then turned on her heals and headed for the door, no longer able to bear being in the room alone with David._

_Dave paused and listened as Erin left the room, still puzzled over what it was that was bothering her._

_Clyde Easter stood with his arms crossed in front of the evidence board analyzing the photos and shaking his head that Emily had died because she saved Doyle's son, only for this to happen, made him sick._

_Hotch paused at the doorway to the round table room, watching Clyde Easter look over the evidence the team had gathered on the board. Then he stepped into the room, crossing it to stand next to Easter, mirroring his stance as he too looked over the evidence board the team had put together._

_"You're team's been very thorough I see." Clyde said with a nod toward the evidence board as Hotch stood next to him. "I made several calls while I was en route. All of the appropriate agencies as well as all of the Law Enforcement on the East Coast have been informed that Interpol is or could possibly be operating in their jurisdiction in conjunction with the FBI in order to expedite things in the event we need to move quickly."_

_Hotch nodded._

_"Welcome back sir." Garcia said as she entered the room, then noticing the other person in the room, "sir." She said with a nod in Easter's direction. Clyde returned the nod._

_"Thank you, what have you got?" Hotch asked as he turned the rest of the way around to face Garcia._

_"I've got a top ten list of Doyle's enemies." Garcia replied as she handed the list to Hotch._

_"Anybody recently in the states?" Hotch asked as he glanced down the list._

_"Richard Gerace's been here a few weeks. He's a low level gun runner who angrily crossed paths with Doyle." Garcia explained. "I caught an image of him on a surveillance camera at Declan's house, confirmed it was him through a scar on his neck."_

_"Alright, get me everything you can on Gerace." Hotch replied as he looked down at the file._

_"Yeah," Garcia spoke softly, "what I just told you is everything I've got."_

_Hotch turned to look at Easter._

_Clyde nodded. "Yes, what she said is true. Crossing Ian Doyle left a scar on more than just his neck… it ruined any prospects of rising higher in the arms dealing world that he had."_

_Hotch nodded, "Well we better go see how the interrogation is going." He said as he turned and headed out of the room followed by Easter._

* * *

><p>"And I thought Erin had a political stick up her ass." Rossi muttered under his breath as he exited the hearing room.<p>

The Senate Page looked down at his clipboard to read the name of the next witness. "Agent Hotchner?"

* * *

><p>"The government spent $17,400.00 on her funeral and another $642,000.00 on her medical expenses. But," Cramer said as he dropped the file to the table and looked at Agent Hotchner, "this is no surprise to you."<p>

_Hotch was just hanging up his cell phone as he rounded the corner and ran into JJ. "Emily is on her way back."_

_"Why?" JJ asked, concerned about what could have caused Emily to break cover._

_"Declan tried to make a call." Hotch explained._

_JJ nodded. "Okay, do we know how far away she is?"_

_"She'll be here soon. She waited until her plan landed to call. Let's regroup with everyone to figure out where we're at. Emily will be able to tell us more than what Easter's been able to." Hotch said._

_"I'll get Morgan and Easter." JJ said as she moved past Hotch and headed for the interrogation room where Morgan and Clyde Easter were continuing to tag team Ian Doyle's interrogation._

_"I'll get everyone else." Hotch replied as he headed towards the bullpen._

_"You get anywhere with Doyle?" Reid asked as Morgan and Clyde Easter entered the round table room, followed by JJ and Rossi._

_"Doyle doesn't think Gerace has the guts to take him on." Morgan replied._

_"I assure you, he's correct." Clyde added._

_"But it's definitely Gerace on the tape." Garcia said as she moved anxiously around the table to sit down. She was so ready to see Emily again; it was all she could do to keep from running down the stairs and waiting for her at the main entrance as she came through security._

_"So maybe he's working with someone?" Reid suggested. "Who else is there that has a grudge against Doyle?"_

_"That's a long list," Clyde said as he sat down at the table with his back to the door. "Significantly longer than we have time to go through if we want to save young Declan."_

_"Well we can narrow it down pretty quickly. Some of them have to be dead or in jail somewhere…" Morgan said from where he stood leaning against the door of the conference room._

_Clyde shook his head. "The man was in a North Korean prison for seven years."_

_"Exactly," Rossi said, "he was out of circulation for a while, so whatever this is about, it goes back a ways. Somebody has been very angry for a very long time it's possible that…" he trailed off as he noticed the expression on Garcia's face and the sound of footsteps behind him._

_Clyde Easter took notice of the entire team looking just over his shoulder and turned around to find a very much alive and healthy Emily Prentiss standing in the doorway. He silently stood from his seat and watched as she made her way through the room hugging and greeting everyone. He glanced at Hotchner and nodded his head, grateful to find that the man had kept his oath. He watched Emily as she made her way around the room, finally ending up in front of him after she'd greeted everyone else. Clyde swallowed. "Hello darling, you're looking rather well for a woman who's been dead for seven months."_

_"Hello Clyde." Emily replied, a smile slipping across her face as she remembered the protective streak that Clyde had always had for her. "I am so sorry, I really am." Emily said as she turned to face the team. "That I didn't wanna…really… I… you didn't deserve that, and I'm so sorry. There's so much I want to tell you guys… and I will, I promise, but right now I need to know what's going on with Declan."_

* * *

><p><em>"Doyle had relations with all of these ladies?" Garcia asked as she pulled up the list the Emily directed her to.<em>

_"Most" Emily replied as she hovered next to Garcia._

_"Wow" Garcia murmured in awe._

_"Hey, can you shoot these into the round table room for me?" Emily asked as she stood up straight._

_"Anything you say, visitor Prentiss." Garcia replied with a smile as she looked over her shoulder at Emily, glad to be able to see for herself that Emily was alive and well._

_"Ugh, thanks" Emily replied as she turned to head out of the room._

_JJ squeezed Garcia's shoulder, knowing how relieved Garcia was to be able to see Emily and know that she was alright instead of having to just know it and believe it because she'd been told so._

_"So you're actually back." Emily commented as they exited the lair of the all-knowing._

_"They'd been looking for your replacement, and Rossi called me." JJ replied, turning to look at Emily as she closed the door to the hallway behind them._

_"Hahaha" Emily laughed, "That's great. How's it working out with being around Reid basically 24 hours a day now?"_

_"Terrific." JJ smiled remembering the years of them working together and living together from another life time._

_Emily shook her head and smiled, glad to see that things had worked out for her friends. "I haven't seen Ashley."_

_"Oh, well she transferred to Andi Swann's unit." JJ explained as she turned to look at Emily._

_"Good for her." Emily replied as they continued down the hallway to the round table room. "So how angry was the team?"_

_"They were in shock at first, but then they channeled the energy into finding Doyle… there might still be some unresolved feelings that some of them need to move past…" JJ answered with a shrug._

_"Thank you." Emily said as she turned to look at JJ, knowing how hard it had been for her friends the last several months. She owed them all a debt that could probably never be paid for taking up the search for Doyle in her stead._

_"It is really good to see you." JJ said shaking her head at Emily as they paused outside the door to the round table room. Emily and JJ each wrapped an arm around each other and then walked into the round table room._

* * *

><p>Hotch remained his normal stoic self as he exited the hearing room, followed by the Senate Page.<p>

"Agent Reid?" the Senate Page called out as he looked down at his clipboard.

JJ squeezed Spence's hand before letting go as he stood up. Spence returned the squeeze, taking strength from JJ's support as he followed the Senate Page into chambers. He watched as all of his friends, his family came back frustrated from having had to deal with whoever this room held. Quite frankly, he decided that he wasn't going to put up with whatever was being dished out. What were they going to do, fire him? The FBI wasn't the only government agency with an acronym that would like to have him working there. Furthermore there were several academic institutions as well as the private sector that would be tripping over themselves to lure him into their employ should he suddenly find himself unemployed.

* * *

><p>"You're the one who suggested Ian Doyle be released?" Cramer asked.<p>

"I am." Reid replied.

"Was the decision to release Ian Doyle a personal one?" Cramer asked.

"A young boy's life was at stake. I ran the probability of his survival and it wasn't good. If you want to punish me for taking a risk, then I encourage you to do that, but do not put the rest of my team on trial for something that I suggested." Reid replied.

Cramer pointed his finger at Agent Reid. "Calm down agent."

"Reid leaned forward in his seat to speak directly into the microphone. "This is calm and it's Doctor."

* * *

><p><em>"No, we are not letting him out of here Reid." Emily said as she stormed into the interrogation room.<em>

_"Emily, I will chain myself to him if I have to." Reid replied, turning to face Emily._

_"He'll find a way to escape." Emily replied._

_"No he won't and we're running out of time. If we find Lachlan McDermott now we have a chance to save Declan." Reid replied._

* * *

><p>"The United States government is not in the business of trading captives." Cramer said leaning further forward in his seat, his mouth hovering just above the microphone.<p>

"New York City, July 2010," Reid replied, his hand wrapped around the microphone, "referred to as the spy swap. Igor…"

"That's enough." Senator Cramer said raising his hand to stop Agent Reid.

"You can't just change the rules sir." Reid said as he leaned back in his seat.

"And you can't just break them." Senator Cramer replied.

* * *

><p>Emily breathed a sigh of relief as Strauss informed the team that her arguments to the committee had persuaded them and that the suspension had been lifted for the entire team. She was looking forward to settling back into her old life. She smiled as she thought about the last couple of weeks since she'd been back… and then she brought out of her thoughts by Morgan wrapping his arm around her shoulders.<p>

"So princess, you have about seven months of happy hours to make up for. Feel like getting started right now?" Morgan asked with a large grin on his face.

"Actually, I have plans tonight," Emily replied, "but maybe in a few days?"

Morgan nodded as he looked around at the team. It felt more complete than it had in months.

"I need to clean out your desk." JJ said as Spence wrapped his arm around her waist.

"It's fine JJ. You can stay there and I can take one of the other desks." Emily replied.

"Actually, JJ and pretty boy will probably both get more work done if they can't moon over each other and play footsie with each other from across a desk." Morgan said with a grin.

Emily laughed, throwing her head back and enjoying how good it felt to be surrounded by friends after months of isolation. "Well I suppose I should do my part then and take back my old desk." She chuckled, enjoying it as the rest of the team joined her.


	19. Chapter 19

I'm keeping this extremely brief tonight... this girl has to get up for work in the morning so I have money to pay the electric and internet bills without which there would be no stories. :D

I don't own Criminal Minds... I'm not getting paid to write either...if in doubt see the comment above about the day job.

Now onto the reason you clicked on that nifty link...

Happy reading and enjoy :D

* * *

><p>"Hey Pen" JJ said with a smile as she looked up at where Garcia was walking across the bullpen.<p>

"Here, I meant to give this to you earlier, but then… well... I forgot." Garcia said as she held a wrapped gift out to JJ.

JJ took the gift with a puzzled look on her face. "What's this for?"

"Consider it your house warming present." Garcia smirked.

"Oh… well you didn't have to, but thank you Pen." JJ said as she started to undo the ribbon, curious to see what her best friend had gotten them.

Garcia reached out and stopped JJ's unwrapping. "You should maybe wait until you get home to unwrap it so that you can fully … appreciate it."

More curious now than ever, JJ brushed Garcia's hand away and pulled at the ribbon, setting it on her desk.

JJ pulled away the wrapping paper and lifted the lid on the box, a look of shock crossing her face.

"What, what is it?" Emily asked standing up to look over JJ's shoulder. "Oh my…"

JJ gasped and felt the heat of her blush in her face and she quickly snapped the lid back down on the box. "Garcia!" she gasped.

"Baby girl, what did you do?" Morgan asked as he glanced back and forth between JJ, Emily, and Garcia.

"Not a word Garcia… not one word." JJ warned as she stood up from her desk.

"I told you to open it at home." Garcia squeaked.

"Pen…" JJ trailed off as she shook her head at her well-meaning friend while trying to figure out what she should do with the 'gift' for now. It wouldn't be safe at her desk; she knew Morgan wouldn't be able to resist peeking at it the first chance he got. "Em, come with me to put this in my car?"

Emily smirked as she walked beside JJ at overhearing PG telling Morgan to drop it.

"Well I think we've learned our lesson about getting drunk and playing truth or dare with PG." Emily said with a chuckle as they reached JJ's car.

JJ laughed. "I should have known better… and I know she means well and that she didn't intend for me to open it in front of Morgan. Promise me you won't say anything to Spence?"

An evil grin passed over Emily's face. "Promise you'll tell me Reid's reaction when he sees the housewarming gift that PG got for you guys?"

JJ snorted. "Because I'm sure Spence wouldn't feel insecure at all about me telling you about his reaction to opening up a housewarming gift from Pen that consisted of pink furry handcuffs, a blindfold, a peacock feather, and scented massage oils." She said as she slammed the trunk closed locking the questionably timed housewarming gift inside.

"Oh come on… let me live vicariously through you." Emily teased. "After all, I just have Sergio to keep me company. I love him and all… but I certainly didn't get a housewarming present like what you got from PG."

JJ turned to look at Emily. "Right… because all the plans you've had lately haven't had to with a man… a certain blonde man with a sexy British accent… huh… he also has a badge and gun. Funny how that worked out." JJ said as she tipped her head and studied Emily's reaction.

"I…how did you…drats…" Emily said stumbling over her words. "Promise you won't say anything to anyone else? It's new… and its fun… but we're just not sure how it's going to work long distance."

JJ smirked. "Your secret's safe with me."

Emily chuckled they headed back towards the elevator bay. "So I guess this is what we get with you being a profiler now huh?"

JJ shrugged. "No intra-team profiling right? I do have a question for you before we get back upstairs though…" JJ said as she followed Emily into the elevator.

"Shoot" Emily said as she pressed the button for the sixth floor.

"What about your feelings for Hotch?" JJ asked biting her lip nervously as she turned to look at Emily. She knew how happy Emily and Hotch were in another life. It was hard to reconcile that some things that were so right in the other life could and probably would end up differently here.

Emily sighed and glanced down at her boots as she shrugged. Then she turned to look at JJ. "Do I care about Hotch?… sure… could I love him?... maybe… but it's not like its ever going to happen JJ, and I can't sit around and wait for something that's probably never going to happen…"

JJ nodded. "Okay. I just want to make sure that being with Clyde is what you really want. You deserve to be happy."

Emily smiled. "I'm not completely sure about being with Clyde… it's still pretty new and just like any relationship, we'll see where it goes. Should we go check on Penelope and make sure Moran isn't pestering her about what was in the box?" Emily asked changing the subject as they got off the elevator.

JJ laughed. "That's probably a good idea."

Together they headed down the hall to Garcia's office.

"Hey Pen," JJ said as she stepped into Garcia's lair of omnipotence. "Morgan isn't begging too much to know what's in the box is he?"

"I am sooooooooo sorry peaches you know I didn't mean for it to happen like that… I just thought if I gave it to you now I wouldn't forget and then you and gorgeous gray matter could open the gift together when you got home…" Garcia rambled, her speech getting faster and faster with how upset she was about the whole kerfuffle as she fidgeted with her hands.

"Pen, Pen…" JJ said reaching out to still her blonde best friend's hands. "It's okay. Morgan didn't see what was in the box and I know you meant well." She said letting Pen off the hook.

"Oh thank god." Garcia replied and taking a deep breath of relief. "Did you get it stashed away?"

JJ laughed. "Yep, in the trunk of my car. I didn't trust Morgan not to peek if I left it at my desk."

Garcia tipped her head. "He is quite the nosy one isn't he?" she commented about her best male friend.

Emily laughed, knowing all too well how much not knowing things bothered Morgan. "It looks like we caught you on the way out of your office. Where are you headed? We've got a little bit before the briefing."

"Actually, I was about to go track down our Italian gourmand to find out how my cooking was. I really want my Fellini festival to go well." Garcia explained.

"Okay, we'll let you get to it then. See in a little bit." JJ said as she turned and headed for the door followed by Emily and Garcia. In the hallway they split up, going separate directions as Garcia headed for Rossi's office and JJ and Emily headed for the lobby and the bullpen.

Emily smiled and shook her head. "So you finished the course?" she asked as she looked at JJ, changing the subject.

"Mm hm and completed my case rotation." JJ replied as the rounded the corner and headed for the elevator lobby.

"Hotch says he's never seen a rookie profiler analyze and write up cases as well as you." Emily said with a smile as she turned to look at JJ.

"He said that?" JJ asked, slightly embarrassed.

"Well after all the cases you've presented over the years, I'm not surprised." Emily explained.

"Mm" JJ mumbled in response, a smiled crossing her face as she saw Spence step off the elevator. "Heeey you."

"Hi" Spence replied, his voice cracking as he walked up to JJ and Emily, his brown leather messenger bag strap resting across his chest.

"Is everything good?" JJ asked, knowing that Spence had needed to speak with Dr. Norman about his mother's care and medications this morning. It was the reason they'd driven into work separately.

Spence nodded, as he clutched the strap of his messenger bag in his fingers, his hands resting on his chest. "I think so… we'll see."

JJ nodded, knowing that Spence didn't want to talk about it too much. He was still very private when it came to the team and work… he didn't let people in easily, even though he knew they cared. She was just glad that he had let her in. "Good. What do you think about brunch this weekend?" she asked as she glanced at Emily.

"I…" Emily started.

"Have plans?" JJ asked with a smirk. "You can bring a guest if you'd like."

"JJ" Emily warned with a lowered tone of voice.

JJ grinned. "Or not… just you is fine too. I know Henry will be excited to see you. He missed you."

"Okay, okay brunch this weekend would great." Emily replied with a grin and a shake of her head. "You so don't play fair. I'll let you know on the plus one."

"Great!" JJ replied as the three of them turned and headed for the bullpen, pausing as Spence held the door open for the ladies to pass through. "Thanks babe." JJ whispered as she passed by him after Emily walked through the door, pausing briefly to give his free hand a squeeze in silent support to let him know that she was there for him when he was ready to talk later about what had happened with his Mom.

* * *

><p>"So Beth got off the bus here and headed northwest towards class." Spence said as he and JJ walked down the busy public street.<p>

"It's amazing no one witnessed her abduction." JJ said as she walked alongside Spence taking in how busy that area was and all of the people who would have been in the surrounding area at the time.

"Maybe the unsub is using a ruse to assist in the abduction?" Spence replied scratching his head as they drew close to the bus stop. "He could be feigning an injury like Ted Bundy, or maybe he tried another tactic and was like 'wow, you're really pretty. You should be a model. I can take your photo. Either one would disarm her." Spence said as he walked the area of the bus stop, looking at the buildings in the area and getting a feel for the abduction site.

"Charm is quite the killer." JJ said smiling at Spence.

Spence returned JJ's smile and nodded in agreement. "Whatever the ruse was, the unsub most likely used it to get her into his vehicle."

"Well if Abby was last seen at a bus stop a few miles away, then he definitely has a means of transportation." JJ said as tucked her windblown hair behind her ear.

Spence nodded, resting his hand on the small of JJ's back as they turned and walked back the way they had come. "Hopefully the disposal site will tell us more."

* * *

><p>JJ knelt down over the latest victim, her gloved hands opening the poor girl's mouth. "Well, he burned her tongue with the chemical this time." She said as she looked up at Spence and Rossi.<p>

"So he removed her ability to taste." Rossi said as he squinted in the bright sunlight.

"Why would he do that?" the detective asked as she looked down at the latest victim.

"Historically this type of torture was used to prevent someone from revealing a secret." Spence said as he glanced briefly at the detective and then looked back at the victim.

"Maybe she offended him?" JJ asked as she stood back up from kneeling over the body.

"She was probably forced to participate in some sort of kissing fantasy." Spence said as he leaned down to get a closer look at the body.

"Her lips are chapped." Rossi added, agreeing that the kissing fantasy made sense.

"And when things go awry, he takes the offending sense away." JJ said as she pulled off one of the blue latex gloves.

"He tortured her in these clothes, which means the 80s are essential to his delusion." Spence said, standing back up straight.

"Maybe that's when this rejection occurred and he held onto the clothes all these years." Rossi said as he stood with his hands on his hips.

"And now he's attacking girls who remind him of girls from that time." JJ postulated.

Spence shook his head. "No, I think he has to be getting these clothes from somewhere… if he'd held onto clothes from the 80s wouldn't that mean that he'd already had contact with the object of his obsession? I think he's being pretty specific here… he's not just targeting girls who remind him of that time… he's targeting girls who remind him of the girl who originally offended him."

Rossi nodded. "Blonde hair, blue eyes… all in their late teens… it most likely the offense happened when he was a teenager."

"How do you know that?" the detective asked. "And why start now?"

"A teenager would have the most contact with other teenagers… and something's triggered the memories of the original offence for this unsub. He's been suppressing his rage and upset for a long time but the trigger released it… he's doing what he spent the last twenty odd years fantasizing about doing to the girl who offended him in order to get revenge." Rossi explained.

* * *

><p>"Tammy Bradstone's parents just filed a report. Their daughter didn't return from homecoming last night." The detective said as she entered the room and laid Tammy's photo on the table.<p>

"Her face is similar to our three vics." Emily said as she looked down at the photo.

"She's about the same age." JJ replied, her arms crossed where she stood in front of the evidence board with Spence.

"The after party where she was last seen was smack in the comfort zone." The detective said as she glanced at the map on the board that contained the geographic profile.

"Where are her parents now?" Hotch asked.

Spence stepped forward and picked up the photo, looking at it, studying it.

"They're at the house. We're bringing her friends in for questioning." The detective replied.

"Alright, you head over there. We'll start the interviews here." Hotch said with a nod at Prentiss and Morgan.

"Wait, guys, this isn't right." Spence said as he held up the photo of Tammy. "Tammy's a brunette. Our guy likes blondes… and Tammy wasn't taken from a bus stop."

"Are you saying that this isn't related?" the detective asked.

Spence shook his head. "No, but I do think it means that Tammy knows the unsub and reminds him of the original offense… maybe she's related to the person who committed the original offense?"

"Wait… what if the person who committed the original offense is a family member? He'd have been watching for the last twenty years fuming over it and now Tammy is about the same age as when the original incident happened." Emily said.

Morgan scrambled for the files on the conference room table. He opened the files and scanned the lists looking at names. "There's a Ben Bradstone on here." He said as he looked up at the team.

"Okay, go talk to the family." Hotch replied as he pulled out his phone. "I'll have Garcia see what she can pull on Ben Bradstone and the family."

Morgan and Emily nodded as they headed for the door.

Hotch turned to Reid. "See what happens on the jeopardy surface when you plot the information for Tammy Bradstone."

Reid nodded as he took the information from the detective and headed to the map.

"Anything new that we didn't see before?" JJ asked as she stood watching Spence analyze the map.

Spence shook his head. "I'm not sure… but I'm wondering… hey Hotch?" he called as he turned from the map to look at Hotch and Rossi who were speaking with the detective.

All three turned to look at Reid.

"I think we need to take this map to the Bradstones and find out if there are any sites with meaningful significance to Ben Bradstone within the comfort zone." Reid explained.

Hotch nodded. "Do it. I'll call Morgan and Emily and let them know you're on your way."

Reid pulled out the pins holding the map up in place and folded it so that the jeopardy surface was on top, ready to show to Tammy's parents. Then he slid it into a folder as he and JJ headed out the door to catch up to Morgan and Emily.

* * *

><p>Reid, JJ, and Emily sat with Lyla and Matt Bradstone while Morgan looked at Tammy's room. They couldn't risk missing anything. The clock was ticking.<p>

"No," Matt Bradstone shook his head, "I can't believe my brother would do something like this. He wouldn't hurt anybody, especially not my daughter." He ran his hands through his hair.

Reid pulled out the map and laid it on the coffee table. "We need to know if there is any place in this area here," he said in a non-confrontational manner as he pointed to the comfort zone lined out on the map, "that has any special significance to you or your brother."

JJ noticed how ready to refute what they were saying about his brother Matt Bradstone was. "Hey, if Cy didn't do this, we need to clear him as quickly as possible so that we can find who did, but if he did do this… we need to find Tammy as quickly as possible."

Matt took a deep breath and nodded. Then he leaned over and looked at the map.

Emily had noticed Lyla's body language at the mention of Cy. While Matt looked at the map, she began talking to Lyla about the history between her and Cy.

"Hey," Morgan said as he came down the stairs and joined Emily, Reid, JJ and the Bradstones. "Tammy had just died her hair blonde and wore the same dress as Mrs. Bradstone to homecoming."

Emily turned back to look at Lyla again. "What happened with you and Cy that made him so angry?"

At that moment Matt pointed to the map. "Here, right here there's an old abandoned house right here. We used to hang out there when we were kids. It used to be on the outskirts of town. I don't know why no one's ever bought it and torn it down to rebuild…but I see it all the time when I drive by."

Reid pulled out his phone and called Hotch while Emily sat talking with Lyla still about what had happened back in the 80s with Cy. "Hotch, we have a location."

In the meantime, now that he was no longer focused on the map, Matt heard what his wife was telling Agent Prentiss about his brother. "Why didn't you ever tell me?"

Emily squeezed Lyla's shoulder and stood up, leaving the couple alone as the agents moved as a group towards the door.

Matt glanced away from his wife who was crying against his shoulder. "You'll find her and bring her home?"

"We'll do everything we can Mr. Bradstone." Morgan said as he turned to look back the Bradstones, hoping that they were right and that they got there before Tammy did something to set Ben 'Cy' Bradstone off and cause him to use the acid.

* * *

><p>"You won't get away with this Uncle Cy. They'll find you." Tammy gasped from the old dental chair in which her uncle had restrained her.<p>

"They can't find me Tammy." Cy said as he walked towards Tammy and leaned over her. "They're not looking _for me_." Then he began laughing and turned away, walking over to turn on the video recorder. He'd hate to miss out on the opportunity to take something away from his brother. If he recorded it, his brother would have to believe him this time.

The group of agents and police officers slipped into the room while Cy's back was turned. "Actually, I'd say Tammy was right Cy, and you were wrong. We did find you and we were looking for you." Morgan said as he and the others held his gun leveled at Cy.

Cy reached for the workbench where an old car battery sat.

"Don't do it Cy! Turn around and put your hands up. I will shoot you." Morgan said as Emily and JJ got Tammy unbound from the chair and escorted her out of the old abandoned house, allowing the rest of the team and police officers to draw tighter in surrounding Cy.

"No! No! No! No!" Cy yelled as he turned around, the car battery in his hands.

"It's over Cy." Reid said as he tried to talk Cy down. "It's over. We know how the girls reminded you of Lyla… and we know what you did to them… and what you were going to do to Tammy…"

"What I did to Tammy…" Cy laughed. "You don't know what I did to Tammy. I took her. We did things." He laughed again and then began to raise the battery up as if to throw it.

Morgan wasn't sure if there was acid in that battery or not, but he wasn't willing to risk battery acid spilling on one of the team or one of the officers, so he pulled the trigger.

Cy fell backwards in shock as the bullet hit his shoulder. Then he screamed in pain and agony as the opened battery landed on his chest and tipped over spilling battery acid on his other shoulder.

Morgan rushed forward, using the toe of his shoe to kick the battery away and off to the side. Reid moved quickly and found scissors, cutting the acid soaked material away and using the scissors to pull it back from the skin, tossing it off to the side. Rossi stepped out to get the medics as Cy writhed on the floor, the sulfuric acid burning and eating away at his shoulder.

Reid stood up, his eyes searching the shelves nearby, hoping that he was going to find what he was looking for, and hoping that Cy had been prepared in the even that he inadvertently spilled acid on himself. And then he found it, a box of baking soda. He grabbed what he hoped was what it was marked as, a jug of distilled water. He quickly crossed the room and knelt down next to Cy, liberally dumping the baking soda on the affected area of Cy's chest and shoulder and then slowly pouring the water over the baking soda.

Reid sighed in relief, as Cy's writhing slowed and he whimpered in pain, mumbling to himself. The base of the sodium bicarbonate and water was working to neutralize the acid. He moved off to the side and out of the way as the medic's came in with a stretcher and loaded Cy onto it. One of the officers stepped forward and restrained Cy to the stretcher and then followed the medics out of the shack. The officer would be riding along to the hospital.

* * *

><p>"That was pretty impressive the way you knew what to do back there <em>Doctor<em> Reid." Morgan teased on the jet ride home.

Reid snorted. "PHD in chemistry Morgan, I better know that a base neutralizes an acid."

Morgan laughed. "Still, pretty impressive kid."

Reid shook his head and stood up to go cuddle with JJ on the couch.

As Reid walked away, Emily and Morgan heard a "Psst, down here," come from the laptop.

"Hey look at you baby girl." Morgan said as he and Emily looked down at the screen.

"Shhhh," Garcia said shushing her chocolate Adonis, "So I was thinking… we haven't had a housewarming party for goldilocks and her gentle genius…"

Emily winced. "PG are you sure this is a good idea… don't you think you might have already done enough?" she asked in reference to a certain 'gift' Garcia had given JJ a few days ago.

"Trust me, it will be great. We can surprise them. We'll show up at their house with all the trappings and trimming for a successful housewarming party… it will be great!" Garcia argued. "I just need you to mobilize our fearless leaders so that we can get everything done in time. Tell Rossi to call me so that I can find out what to buy for food. Move out on the double… Garcia out."

"Looks like we just got recruited for this mission whether we think it's a good idea or not." Emily whispered to Morgan.

Morgan nodded. "I'll talk to Rossi, you talk to Hotch?"

Emily nodded and then they stood up to rearrange their seat locations.

* * *

><p>"It feels so good to be home." JJ said stretching as she climbed out of her car and smiled across the roof at Spence as he climbed out of his car.<p>

Spence pulled his messenger bag over his head, shouldered his go bag, and then stepped up next to JJ as she opened the trunk of her car. "Let me grab your stuff." Spence smiled as he leaned down to pull JJ's go bag out of the trunk. "Hey, what's this?" he asked as he pulled the box holding Garcia's housewarming present out of the trunk.

JJ took the box from Spence. "It's Garcia's housewarming present to us… but um… can we look at it later?" JJ asked, realizing that it would be awhile after this case before she'd want to even think about using anything in the box. Suddenly, being restrained and heightened senses… well it just didn't have a lot of appeal at the moment.

"Okay." Spence replied with a shrug.

"How about we unpack, shower, and then figure out something for dinner?" JJ asked as she grabbed her briefcase and the gift box from Spence.

"Sounds good." Spence replied as he followed JJ to the door.

* * *

><p>"Feel better?" Spence asked as he followed JJ down the stairs, his hands rubbing her shoulders.<p>

JJ nodded and turned her head to kiss one of Spence's hands as her bare feet reached the bottom of the stairs, her pajama pants brushing the edge of the steps. "I do… I'll feel even better after we eat and curl up in front of the fireplace for a quiet night in." she said, just as the doorbell rang.

Spence followed JJ over to the door and leaned over to look out the side window of the door to see who it was. "JJ, why is the entire team at our front door?"

"I have no idea baby." JJ replied as she unlocked the door and opened it.

"Surprise!" Garcia exclaimed from her position right in front. The rest of the team smiled apologetically at JJ and Reid, unseen by Garcia from the spot behind her.

"I…what?" JJ asked as she and Spence stood at their front door in their pajamas looking at the team with their bags of what appeared to be groceries and various other items.

Spence silently waved at the team while he struggled to find his voice. "Hey…um… guys…what's going on?" he asked as his eyebrows rose on his forehead.

"It's a surprise housewarming party!" Garcia cheered.

"Oooookay" Spence replied in confusion.

"Pen, you really didn't have to…" JJ added as she realized how rude they were being and pushed Spence back out of the way as she stepped back opening the door wide and letting everybody into the house.

"Hey, you guys never did tell me what Garcia got you for a housewarming present." Morgan said as he noticed the mysterious box sitting on the entry way table where JJ had left it on entering the house.

JJ's eyes widened and she leapt forward grabbing it and then continuing upstairs. "I'm just going to go change and put this away. I'll be back down in a few."

Spence nodded and led everyone into the kitchen where they began unloading their bags of goodies. Spence grabbed containers and glasses for everyone as they worked to pull everything together.

* * *

><p>JJ's bare feet padded silently into the kitchen a few minutes later as she pulled her hair up in a ponytail, having just changed into jean and a tank top. "Hey" she murmured as walked up to Spence and wrapped an arm around his waist where he stood talking with Morgan. "I can hold down the fort for a few minutes. Why don't you go change?"<p>

* * *

><p>JJ smirked as she stood in their kitchen watching Rossi boil noodles and get everything ready for their cooking lesson. Wine glasses were in front of everyone, with an extra one for Spence, as they watched Rossi work.<p>

"Cooking is the most sensual art form," Rossi said as he leaned against the counter, "and these are my paints." He said indicating all of the ingredients he had spread out on the counter.

"So your hands must be brushes." Garcia said, extending Rossi's metaphor.

"Don't interrupt." Rossi replied.

"Yeah" Garcia mouthed and looked down at the counter.

JJ couldn't help but laugh as she looked down the counter at Pen and then turned to look at Emily.

"In a pot of boiling water, we cook our spaghetti until its al dente, firm to the tooth." Rossi said picking up some spaghetti in his hands and passing it to everybody. "Here you go. Everybody pass it around so you feel the texture." Rossi said as everybody took some of the noodles. "Here we go… okay." Rossi turned to the pan he had on JJ and Reid's cooktop. "Now in a large pan we fry up our pancetta, keeping a sharp eye that the edges are crisp."

"But careful not to burn the onions." Hotch added as he leaned forward on the counter.

"Bravo Aaron!" Rossi exclaimed in surprise.

Hotch turned and smiled at the team who were looking at him in surprise.

"We sauté until translucent." Rossi continued.

Then Spence walked into the kitchen bare foot and in a pair of cords and a striped t-shirt. He stepped up behind JJ, wrapping his arms around her waist.

JJ leaned her head back and kissed Spence's cheek, resting one of her hands on his at her waist as she settled back into his embrace. Then she leaned forward picking up her wine glass.

"Ahh" Rossi exclaimed as he pointed at JJ to stop her from drinking her wine. Garcia managed to hold back her laugh, instead turning it into a snort as she turned away from the group.

"Now we mix in the eggs, the parmesan, the spaghetti, and parsley." Rossi said as he added each of the ingredients and began to mix them in the pan he had resting on a butcher block. "You see it's all about timing and rhythm."

JJ smiled and leaned her head back on Spence's shoulder and turned her mouth to whisper in his ear. "If it's about timing and rhythm, then you should be really good at this." She said speaking a low sultry bedroom voice whisper that only he could hear.

"Oh JJ's telling pretty boy naughty things…look at him blush." Morgan cried teasing the couple playfully.

Spence buried his blushing face in JJ's shoulder.

Rossi chuckled as he continued the cooking lesson, "If you don't feel yourself doing it properly, please, just order a pizza," causing the rest of the team to snicker and smirk and then howl with laughter.

JJ kissed Spence's cheek, rubbing her thumbs over the back of Spence's hands.

"So, when do we get to drink the wine?" Emily asked after she stopped laughing, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye.

"Almost there." Rossi replied as he continued to stir his creation. "Alright, you start at the beginning and you eat what you cook. I'll supervise, but we're going to do this altogether, just like a family."

"Okay now?" JJ asked holding up a glass of wine.

Rossi smiled. "Now."

JJ smiled and pulled one Spence's hands from around her waist, putting the glass of wine she held into his hand. Then she picked up her own glass of wine, as did everyone else.

"Salute" they all chorused as they leaned in over the countertop of the island in JJ and Reid's kitchen, clinking their wine glasses together as they toasted.

After much entertainment in the cooking, cleanup, and just spending time together, the team decided that it was time to pack it in for an evening and leave JJ and Reid to enjoy a child free evening at home. The team all huddled around in the entryway as they all said their goodbyes.

"Hey are we on for brunch on Sunday?" JJ asked as she hugged Emily goodbye.

Emily chuckled. "Yes, as long as I'm still allowed a plus one." She whispered in JJ's ear.

"Of course." JJ replied, winking as she pulled back. "Have a good night." JJ said to the group in general.

"Oh I plan to." Rossi replied. "I'm gonna whip Prentiss' butt at Rockband." Rossi said gleefully.

Emily shrugged. "I decided to humor him. He misses having Ashley to play video games with and I don't have any plans for the night."

JJ laughed. "Okay well don't let him beat you too badly. We'll never hear the end of it." JJ said as she and Spence followed everyone to the door.

They waved and watched as the team made it to their cars, glad that they had friends that cared so much. Even though it hadn't been what they'd planned on, it had turned out to be a very entertaining and enjoyable night. Once everyone was in their cars and safely on their way, they turned out the lights and headed up to bed hand in hand.


	20. Chapter 20

I don't own Criminal Minds.

Happy reading and enjoy :D

* * *

><p>"JJ?" Spence asked as they entered the bedroom and he saw the box from earlier that contained Garcia's housewarming gift to them sitting on the bed.<p>

"Yeah baby?" JJ replied as she followed Spence into their room.

"What did Garcia get us?" he asked curiously as he climbed onto his side of the bed picked the box up off the bed.

JJ climbed up onto the bed and curled up next to Spence, taking the box from him. "Well… um… a while ago… actually before you and I were even together… Garcia talked Emily and me into playing truth or dare one on a girls' night."

Spence look at JJ becoming more curious as he studied her facial expression to try and figure out what was going on.

"So, Garcia dared me to share a fantasy… and we were on our third picture of margaritas… so I did…"

Spence's eyebrows knitted together as his brow creased as he tried to figure out the implication. Then he realized that JJ meant sexual fantasy and his eyebrows rose on his forehead. "What, um, what was it?" he asked, his voice cracking slightly.

"Well," JJ said as her fingers toyed with the edge of the box lid just before she pulled it off. "I told Garcia that I wanted to be in control and to play with um… my boyfriend's senses… and for him to do the same to me…" JJ replied her voice getting soft and low as she reached into the box and pulled out the massage oils, the peacock feather, and the blindfold. Her hand paused as she hooked a finger in one of the cuffs on the fuzzy pink handcuffs, and then she lifted displaying them to Spence and blushing slightly.

"Uh… um…I…" Spence mumbled as he swallowed and fidgeted nervously.

JJ studied Spence's face and could see that something was bothering him. She dropped the handcuffs back in the box and then quickly scooped up everything else, dropping it back in the box before setting the box off to the side on the nightstand. "Baby what is it? What's wrong?"

"JJ, I… I just…" Spence mumbled as he cast a wary glance at the box sitting on JJ's nightstand.

"Spence, if this is about the case… trust me it's going to be a while before I want to use that stuff… well maybe not the massage oil." She said smiling up at Spence.

Spence forced a smile at JJ and then eyed the box again. "It's not that… well at least it wasn't…" Spence replied grimacing at the thought of how much a case could sometimes get into their heads.

"Then what is it baby?" JJ asked in concern as reached up and ran her fingers over Spence's furrowed brow.

Spence swallowed. "The last time I wore handcuffs was…" he trailed off as he scratched at the inside of his elbow, feeling the ghost of a needle stabbing in against his will.

JJ's eyes widened. "God, baby, I'm sooo sooo sorry… we don't have to ever…"

"It's okay JJ. I know you would never hurt me… and it's different… I trust you. It's just a bad memory now… but sometimes it gets triggered." Spence shrugged sadly. "It wasn't your fault then and it isn't your fault now." He leaned down and kissed the brow of her upturned face.

JJ sighed deeply and wrapped her arms around Spence's waist, holding him close. "I love you. I wish I could change what happened to you." she said as she looked up at him.

"I don't." Spence answered wisely. "What happened to me is a part of who I am now. It's made me a better profiler and a better agent. It made me grow up and be a better man."

JJ tipped her head back to look at Spence, running her fingers over the lines of his cheekbone and down his jaw as she studied the depths of his big brown eyes. "I suppose it has, but I still hate that you had to go through that."

Spence nodded against JJ's shoulder as they held each other close, taking peace and comfort from their closeness and sounds of each other's measured breathing.

After a few moments of cuddling in the middle of their bed, JJ pulled away and tugged on Spence's hand. "Come on we need to get ready for bed… and I'll um… tuck this away in the closet for now." JJ said as she glanced at the box sitting on the nightstand.

Spence stood up off of the bed and stretched his arms over his head, causing his striped t-shirt to ride up exposing his belly and the tops of his hips. "Mmkay" he replied leaning over, his palms resting on the bed as he planted a kiss on JJ's lips.

JJ smiled sadly as she watched Spence walk into their bathroom, thinking of how much it had cost him to become the man he was today… the man she loved. She shook her head to clear her thoughts and stood up from the bed, picked up the box from the nightstand and walked into their closet, tucking the box onto the top shelf on her side of the closet.

* * *

><p>"Oh shit…" Emily cursed as she looked over Clyde's shoulder at the alarm clock. "Clyde we need to get up and be quick about getting ready. We need to be to JJ and Reid's in an hour."<p>

"Mm" Clyde moaned as he rolled closer to Emily, the cover's rustling over their naked bodies. "Good morning darling." He kissed her shoulder as his hands slipped around Emily's waist. "Haven't I already proven I'm not quick about anything?"

"Mmm, Clyde," Emily whined as his lips, tongue, and teeth danced along the sensitive skin of her neck, "We really need to get going."

"Alright darling, but I promise to remind you again later." Clyde replied, his blue eyes twinkling as braced himself on one elbow to look down at the dark haired beauty beneath him. He dipped his head giving Emily a quick peck on the lips and then threw back the covers and climbed over Emily to head to the bathroom.

Emily laughed and shook her head as she watched Clyde's naked strut across her bedroom to the bathroom.

Clyde paused and turned in the doorway of the bathroom to look back at Emily. "You know darling, if we are on a time constraint, it would be ever so more quick if you joined me in the shower."

Emily laughed as she rose to her feet and walked across the room to join Clyde in the doorway. "Only if you keep your hands to yourself."

"Now that I cannot promise." Clyde winked as he pulled Emily into the bathroom with him.

* * *

><p>Spence and JJ were working together in the kitchen to get brunch ready when the doorbell rang.<p>

"I'll get it." Spence said as he wiped of his hands on a dish towel and wrapped an arm around JJ's waist, pulling her close and kissing the side of her neck.

"Mm" JJ moaned and then turned her head, giving Spence a quick peck on the lips.

"I come wit?" Henry asked from where he sat at the counter drawing a picture for Emily.

"Sure big guy, come on." Spence said scooping Henry up off of the stool and grunting. "You're getting heavy buddy." He teased.

"I big. Wike you Unca 'Pence." Henry grinned from his perch on Uncle Spence's hip causing Mommy to laugh as they left the room.

"Okay Henry, can you see who it is?" Spence asked as he leaned so Henry could look out the side window next to the door.

"It Aun' Emmy!" Henry cheered as he raised his arms above his head.

Spence smiled as he set Henry down on his feet and helped him open the door.

Emily smiled as the door swung open. "Hey Reid, hey…" the rest of her greeting was cut off by Henry throwing himself forward and wrapping his arms around her knees.

Henry mumbled against Emily's jean clad legs as his blonde little head pressed against her, his arms tightening their grip.

Clyde watched, enchanted, as Emily leaned down to pick Henry up and rest him on her hip. "Hey Henry, what were you saying? I couldn't hear you."

"I miss you Aun' Emmy. I glad you owie better." Henry said with a decisive nod.

"Oh buddy, I missed you too." Emily replied as she looked questioningly at Reid.

Spence smiled, glad that Henry was able to see Emily again and that JJ hadn't had to explain death to Henry. "JJ told Henry that you had to be away for a while because you're owie was too big for a band-aide to fix it. Right buddy?"

Henry nodded from his spot in Emily's arms. "Mommy say kisses no make it better. Unca' 'pence say magic no work eider."

Emily nodded sadly, not having taken into account how her actions surrounding Doyle would have impacted and affected everyone. She was only just now beginning to realize what the cost was. "Well Mommy and Uncle Spencer were right. But I'm better now." Emily said as tussled Henry's blonde locks with her free hand.

"I glad." Henry replied with a large grin on his face.

"Me too, Henry; me too." Emily replied as she set Henry back down on his feet. "Something smells delicious. Did you help cook this morning?" she teasingly asked Henry as he took her hand.

"I help Mommy pick what we have." Henry replied.

"You did?" Emily asked glancing at Reid, who nodded in agreement. "Well let's go see what all you picked then."

"Otay!" Henry said as he turned and tugged on Emily's hand.

"Hey" JJ said turning around to greet their guests as Spence led the way into the kitchen, followed by Henry dragging Emily along by the hand, and Clyde. "It's nice to see you again under better circumstances Clyde."

Clyde smiled. "Ah yes, well I find that just about any circumstances are better than being in an interrogation room while you are under suspicion or even being the subject of a Congressional hearing for that matter." He replied with a wink at Emily.

Emily chuckled. "I would have to agree."

"Me too." Reid replied, seconding Emily's comment.

JJ nodded. "Would you like coffee?"

Emily winced. "Actually I quit caffeine."

JJ's eyebrows raised on her forehead as she glanced at the pot of coffee that was likely to go to waste. "Well, how about some tea or juice then?" she asked looking back at Emily and Clyde as Spence moved past her to get to the oven when the timer went off.

"Tea would be lovely." Clyde replied.

"Tea it is then. Emily?" JJ asked as she opened the cupboard to pull down a selection of various teas.

"Tea for me too please, Jayje." Emily said as she watched Spence pull cinnamon rolls out of the oven and set them on the stove top. "Do you guys need help with anything?"

"No. Everything is pretty much ready." Spence replied as he turned to look at Emily. He quickly placed the cinnamon rolls on a plate and iced them. Then he went to sit them on the table where everything else sat waiting for them.

Clyde watched mesmerized and enchanted as Emily interacted with young Henry over brunch. He couldn't help but wonder how he'd never seen this side to Emily before. He couldn't help but think of another blonde haired young man that he found out about far too late to be of any help. He couldn't help but wonder why Emily had never told him about Declan back when they first apprehended Doyle… but then he realized that a secret was best kept by only one person and of course Emily had been wise not to trust anyone else with the secret, after all there had been a traitor in their midst.

"Can you tell Aunt Emily bye little man?" JJ asked the sleepy toddler whose head rested on her chest.

"Bye bye" Henry said in a soft sleepy voice.

"Bye Henry. See you later okay?" Emily replied with a soft smile at the little boy who was having trouble keeping his eyes open after a busy morning and part of the afternoon.

"Bye Emily, see you tomorrow." Spence said and then he turned to Clyde and nodded. "It was good to see you again."

"And you Spencer." Clyde nodded in reply. "I'll go start the car shall I?" Clyde whispered to Emily who turned her head, smiled, and nodded.

"JJ, why don't I take Henry?" Spence asked as he reached out for his godson. "We'll go read a book."

"Do you want to go read with Uncle Spence?" JJ asked softly as she tipped her head down to look at Henry.

Henry nodded and went easily to Uncle Spence as Mommy shifted him over into his Uncle's arms. Their voices drifted down the stairs as Spence climbed them to read Henry to sleep.

JJ glanced over Emily's shoulder at where Clyde sat waiting in the car. "So things are good?"

Emily glanced over her shoulder at Clyde and then back at JJ. "Things are good… and we'll see where they go."

JJ nodded. "Well I guess that's more dish than I ever gave you at the beginning of a relationship." She replied with a grin at how good it felt to have Emily back. "So I guess you should get going so you and Clyde can enjoy some quality time together." JJ teased.

Emily laughed. "Yes, yes we should. Besides, once Henry is down for naptime, you and Reid will have some quality time of your own."

JJ chuckled as she hugged Emily. "See you tomorrow Em. Thanks for coming today."

"Thanks for inviting me and my plus one." Emily replied with a smile. "See you guys tomorrow."

* * *

><p>"What are you thinking about Clyde?" Emily asked as she watched Clyde driving.<p>

"What's that darling?" Clyde asked as he turned to look at Emily from the red light they were sitting at, having been pulled from his thoughts by Emily's question.

"I just asked what you were thinking." Emily replied.

"I was just thinking that I don't believe I've ever seen you with a child before. It was quite wonderful and enchanting." Clyde smiled.

Emily smiled. "Kids like Henry make it easy."

"Ah, well don't sell yourself short darling. Children often have a sense about them in regards to adults. Certain adults attract children and certain adults repel them. You, my darling, certainly attract them." Clyde mused.

"Charmer" Emily teased.

"Hmm… of course I am darling. If I'm not mistaken I do believe I charmed your pants off of you last night. Which reminds me, I do believe I promised to remind you how very, very, unquick I am about certain things." Clyde winked, deciding to leave his thoughts regarding Emily and children alone for now as he leaned down to kiss her.

"Hmm… I do vaguely remember you mentioning something in that regard." Emily replied as she pulled away from Clyde's lips.

* * *

><p>"Hey, how you doing in here?" JJ asked as she entered Garcia's office.<p>

"I hate when the unsub turns out to be a good guy who got caught up in a turn of events beyond his control." Garcia said as used a tissue to wipe her running mascara.

JJ nodded and squeezed Garcia's shoulder. "Yeah, some days really suck huh?"

Garcia nodded. "Today and watching the Dolans be ripped apart as a family… how do people ever recover from something like that?"

JJ leaned against Garcia's desk facing her. "I don't know Pen… I wish I did, but I don't."

Garcia nodded. "Well, what can I do for you?"

JJ smiled. "I actually came to ask you for a favor."

"What can I, tech goddess supreme, do you for you peaches?"

JJ laughed; glad to have Penelope to lift her spirits after this case. "Teach me about Dr. Who?"

Garcia tipped her head and studied JJ. "What do you want to know about Dr. Who?"

"Umm… everything?" JJ replied.

Garcia laughed. "Oh peaches… we're talking about over 30 years of television history. I can't possibly tell you everything… but I can give you some basics. Dr. Who is a Time Lord. He and his companions explore the universe in his TARDIS."

JJ's eyes went wide. "What's a TARDIS?"

"It stands for time and relative dimension in space. It's a sentient, telepathic time and space travel machine that flies through the time vortex. On the outside it looks like a blue British police box, but it's unfathomably more spacious on the inside than a blue British police box. So the Doctor and his companions travel through time and space facing a variety of foes while working to save civilizations, help ordinary people, and right wrongs."

JJ tipped her head in interest, contemplating.

"Oh, oh, oh…" Garcia chanted excitedly, bouncing in her seat, "and when the Doctor is gravely injured and near death, he regenerates into a new body… and those are pretty much the basics. You should ask the good Dr. Reid to fill you in… you know there's also a Dr. Who convention coming to DC this spring."

That set JJ's wheels spinning as she stood up from the edge of Garcia's desk. "Thanks for the help Pen."

"Anytime peaches. See you tomorrow?" Garcia asked as JJ headed for the door.

"Yeah. I'm going to go see if my Doctor is ready to pick up Henry and head home." JJ replied with a smile over her shoulder at Garcia.

"Hey you" JJ said as she walked up behind Spence resting her hands on his shoulders and looking over his shoulder at the case file he was working on completing.

"Hey" Spence replied tipping his head back to look at JJ.

"What do you say we go pick up Henry and get out of here for today?" JJ asked.

Spence nodded. "That sounds like a plan." He said as he flipped the file closed and squeezed JJ's hand and then released it as he stood up and worked on collecting his things.

"Hey man, you guys getting ready to take off?" Morgan asked as he walked through the bullpen on his way from getting a cup coffee back to his office.

"Yeah we are." Reid replied and then turned to look at Morgan. "And Morgan… I know that there are exactly fifteen case files on my desk right now… no less and certainly no more." Reid said in a semi-serious tone.

"Hahaha" Morgan laughed. "No worries pretty boy. I haven't even had time to look at my files to figure out the ones I don't want to do yet." Morgan replied as he clapped Reid on the shoulder. "Have a good night. See you guys in the morning." He said with a glance over his shoulder at JJ where she stood waiting for Reid before he took the stairs back up to the catwalk and the paperwork waiting for him in his office.

JJ shook her head. "Night Morgan." She called out in response, wrapping her arm around Spence's waist as he stepped up next to her. "See you in the morning Em." JJ said as they passed Emily's desk on the way to the doors and the elevator.

"Hmm? Oh yeah… good night. See you guys in the morning." She replied distractedly as she mused on Morgan's comments from that morning and decided that she'd talk to Hotch before she left for the day.

"So what's the plan for tonight?" Spence asked as JJ leaned into his side in the elevator.

"I just want us to spend time together… have dinner… spend time with Henry… maybe cuddle up together in front of the fireplace for a little bit." JJ replied.


	21. Chapter 21

Hey guys and gals. Here's chapter 21 - I'm sorry that these chapters seem to be taking longer than it did with The Road Not Taken - but its a little bit harder lining up two universes at once to coincide, but be different - if you know what I mean. I'm working as quick as I can - I'm hoping to get us up to Christmas and the holidays of season 7 by the end of the year... then we'll taking a break from The Roads Series for a bit so I can work on some other things for a little while. The sequel for Sleight of Hand is so overdue to you all that it isn't even funny... plus I have a bunch of other story ideas that I want to get started on... plus - we can't get too close to where the actual series is - so we'll probably chip away slowly at updating The Roads Series once we get into the new year, at least until we get to the end of season 8... but don't worry - I promise to keep you all in material to read during the 'hiatus' for The Roads Series.

I want to say a deep and hearfelt thank you to all of you who nominated and voted for The Road Before Us as Best JJ/Reid story in the 2012 Profiler's Choice Awards over on Chit Chat On Author's Corner in the forums (if you've never checked it out - you totally should. There are always several things going on over there.) It was an honor to win. I also want to thank all of you who nominated and voted for The Road Not Taken in Best Het Romance category. Even though The Road Not Taken didn't win, it was still an honor to even be nominated in a wider category and I thank you.

But enough of my aimless ramblings... you clicked on that nifty link to find out what happens next... so on with the show... chapter - you knew what I meant. :D

Oh - before I forget - there's some additional scenes over at The Writer's Coffee Shop that couldn't be published here... the link is on my profile page. ;)

Happy reading and enjoy :D

* * *

><p>"Mmm" JJ moaned, nuzzling against Spence as she woke up, her hand running down his chest and across his belly as she snuggled closer.<p>

"Morning JJ" Spence croaked in a raspy morning voice as he tipped his head to bury his face in the golden halo at the crown of JJ's head.

"Mmm good morning birthday boy." JJ whispered, tipping her head back and pressing a good morning kiss to her boyfriend's lips as her hands roamed his torso.

"JJ" Spence moaned as his girlfriend's lips, tongue, and teeth worked their way along his jaw and down his neck after their lips parted.

"Hm?" JJ murmured in response as she pressed kisses across his neck, her teeth grazing his Adam's apple, her tongue playing in the groove of his suprasternal notch, and then kissing along the top of his chest. All the while, her fingers played with the waist band of Spence's boxers. Her fingers ran lightly over the elastic band several times. Then her fingers dropped along the edge, tracing the edge of the elastic band as her fingernails teased the sensitive skin of his abdomen, pausing to brush her thumb over the ever so faint trail of hair that lead from his belly button down past the waistband and into his boxers.

Spence panted as JJ's hand brushed over his morning erection. "JJ, please…"

JJ grinned as she looked up at Spence, her chin perched on his pectoral muscle as her nimble fingers continued to stroke him through his boxers. "Was there something special you wanted for your birthday baby?"

* * *

><p>Exhausted, Spence collapsed into JJ's arms, his forehead resting in the curve of her neck as he gasped to catch his breath.<p>

JJ lazily stroked up and Spence's back as they lay together, legs tangled, pressed against one another in the golden silence of their mutual afterglow. Then she lifted her head to kiss his shoulder. "Happy birthday baby."

* * *

><p>Henry sat bouncing eagerly in Uncle Spence's lap as Mommy turned off the overhead light and went to the counter to get the birthday cake that he'd helped Mommy pick out for Uncle Spence.<p>

JJ smiled as she watched her boys by the glow of birthday candle light as she carried Spence's birthday cake to the table and set it down in front of Spence and Henry, who was sitting in Spence's lap.

Henry gasped as the cake was set down on the table in front of them. "Unca 'Pence," Henry said excitedly, "dat's a three!" Henry said as he pointed at the '3' candle making up the '30' on the cake. "I gonna be three on my birfday," his little head whipped around to look at his cherished Uncle, "you three too?"

JJ smiled from where she stood off to the side with her camera, waiting to get a picture of Spence blowing out his birthday cake.

Spence chuckled. "No buddy, but how old I am starts with a three now. See that zero next to it. Those two numbers together make the number 30. It's ten times more than three. That's how old I am."

"Wow" Henry replied, mesmerized by a number much larger than he could comprehend at the tender age of almost three.

JJ grinned and snapped and adorable photo of Spence and Henry sitting before the lit up birthday cake. "Baby, blow out the candles and make a wish."

Spence leaned down to whisper in Henry's ear. "That's a lot of candles. I think I might need your help Henry. Can you help me blow out the candles and make a wish?"

Henry nodded his little head and blew as mightily as he could when Uncle Spence leaned forward to blow out the candles. "Yay!" he cheered, throwing his hands up over his head once the candles were all out.

JJ laughed as she walked over and turned on the overhead light and then walked back to join her boys at the table. "Did you make a wish baby?" JJ asked as she rested her hand on the back of Spence's neck.

Spence grinned and tipped his head back to look at JJ. "Yeah, but I did have to think about it for a second. I already have everything I want."

JJ grinned and leaned down to kiss Spence. "Sweet talker." She murmured against his lips just before kissing him as her fingers tangled in the hair at the back of his head.

After cake and washing a little face and hands, it was time for presents. Henry eagerly climbed up on the couch in between Mommy and Uncle Spence, excited to give Uncle Spence the birthday present he'd made for him. "Happy birfday Unca 'pence!" Henry said as he handed Uncle Spence the present that Mommy had helped him wrap.

"Thanks Henry." Spence said as he looked from Henry to the gift and back again. "What is it?"

"You has to open it Unca 'Pence." Henry giggled in reply as Mommy picked him up in her lap and scooted next to Uncle Spence.

"Oh! Silly me. You're right." Spence replied with a wink at JJ as he began tearing the wrapping paper off the gift. He sat studying the gift for a moment, a tear in his eye as he looked at Henry's gift.

"You wike it Unca 'Pence?" Henry asked.

"I sure do buddy. You did a great job!" Spence said as he looked down at the double frame that sat in his lap. In one side of the frame was a picture Henry had drawn of his family and in the opposite frame was a picture of them all together back on the Fourth of July.

"Dis is you an Mommy an Sunny an Daddy an Aun' Ewwe." Henry said as leaned over and pointed at their likenesses in his drawing.

"Thanks buddy. Can I put in on my desk at work?" Spence asked.

"Uh huh." Henry nodded.

JJ smiled and handed Spence her present. "Happy birthday baby. I hope you like it." JJ said as she leaned in and gave him a quick peck on the lips.

Spence removed the bow and stuck it on Henry's head, making the boy laugh. Then he ran his thumbnail under the tap and pulled the wrapping paper back from the box and opened it. He grinned as he looked back up at JJ.

JJ grinned back at him. "I thought maybe we could have a re-do on our first date." She said as she watched Spence pull the two Redskins tickets out of the box and bit her lip waiting for him to notice what else was in the box with the football tickets.

"These are great JJ." Spence said as he leaned over and kissed his girlfriend. "Thank you. I'll try not to spill beer this time."

JJ grinned knowingly as he moved to set the tickets back in the box, waiting for his reaction on what else was in the box.

"JJ…" Spence gasped in surprise as he looked down into the box, his hand with the Redskins tickets froze in midair as he reached into the box and pulled out the other part of his gift.

"So what do you think?" JJ asked as she bit her lip.

Spence looked at the second part of his gift in his hands and then looked at JJ and then looked back at the gift. "I love it… but you've always told me that you wouldn't…"

JJ smiled softly, her eyes twinkling as she reached out and ran her fingers through Spence's hair. "Baby, I know Gideon probably gave you those Redskins tickets for your birthday because he knew I was a fan. I gave you Redskins tickets so we could relive our first date. You've always made a point to take an interest in what I have going on… maybe it's time I took an interest in something that was your interest.

"Are you sure?" Spence asked as he gazed back and forth between the tickets to the Dr. Who convention in DC in May and his girlfriend. "If you don't want to go, you don't have to. I could go with Garcia… she loves Dr. Who."

"Mm hm, besides traveling through time and righting wrongs sounds pretty intriguing." JJ replied with a wink. "You might need to give me a crash course in all things Dr. Who… but I really want to go with you Spence."

Spence's eyes lit up with childlike glee as he tucked the Dr. Who tickets and Redskins tickets back in the box. "This is going to be great! You're going to love Dr. Who."

JJ grinned at how happy and excited Spence was and leaned in to kiss him, pulling away as Henry began squirming in her lap.

Spence smiled as he looked down at Henry, accurately sensing that the little boy was a little bored with the adult conversation. "How about we take Sunny for a walk to the park?"

Henry perked up immediately. "Can we pway on da swide and da swing?" he asked, eager to get out and run and play, as he looked back and forth between Mommy and Uncle Spence.

"That sounds like a great idea." JJ said smiling down at Henry.

"Why don't you and Mommy get your coats and shoes on and I'll go get Sunny?" Spence suggested as he stood up and lifted Henry high in the air, causing him to giggle before setting him back down on his feet.

* * *

><p>After an afternoon at the park, dinner, and an evening curled up together on the couch watching the latest Disney Pixar movie, Henry crashed hard. JJ smiled, turning to look at Henry cuddled up against Spence's chest as she turned off the TV and the DVD player. "Want me to take him?" she asked as she stood up.<p>

"No that's okay. I've got him." Spence replied as he stood up from the couch, cradling Henry against his chest as he moved towards the stairs to put the little boy in to bed.

"Okay, I'll just put Sunny out and then I'll be up." JJ replied, brushing Henry's blonde hair back and kissing him on the forehead. Then she leaned up on her tip toes and gave Spence a soft kiss on the lips.

"Hey, what are you thinking about?" JJ asked as she entered their bedroom, glancing at Spence as she walked to the closet and kicked off her shoes into her side of the closet. She turned to face Spence as she peeled off her jeans, sweater, bra, and panties as she changed into her pajamas.

Spence grinned, a shock hair falling across his brow as he turned to look at JJ. "I was thinking how this is the best birthday I've ever had."

JJ smiled as she climbed into bed next to him and kissed him softly, her hand rising to trail through his hair and then down his neck and across his shoulder. "Better than your 24 birthday even?" she asked knowing how much he enjoyed the memory of the team celebrating his birthday.

Spence glanced at the small box on his nightstand that held his gifts from JJ and then turned back to JJ and smiled. "Definitely. Although it's sort of like we've come full circle now huh?"

JJ nodded. "Maybe we wouldn't have worked out if we'd gotten together then, maybe we would have, but it's definitely like coming full circle." She said as she massaged the back of Spence's neck. "Happy Birthday baby." she said as she leaned back into kiss him again. She gasped as Spence leaned forward, his arm wrapping around her waist as they sank into the bed, his face buried in her neck. She chuckled, "Mm, pretty frisky for an old man baby." she teased with a laugh.

"Hey!" Spence exclaimed, lifting his head to look at her. "You're older than me."

"Not that much older." JJ replied raising her eyebrow at Spence as she cupped his cheek with her hand, her thumb running over his lower lip. "Besides, I was only teasing. Trust me," she said as she leaned up to kiss him. "You…are…not…old." She said, her words interspersed with kisses as her hands slid up under Spence's t-shirt, all comments on age and who was older, forgotten for more important matters.

* * *

><p>"Phew" Spence blew out a sigh in response to the destruction caused by the bomb as he and JJ walked into Principal Gibbons' bedroom.<p>

JJ took in the sight of the destruction caused by the bomb as she followed Spence into the room and chose to focus on the case so that they could find whoever was behind this as quickly as possible. "Okay, so the unsub has to be tied to the school somehow right?" she asked as she walked through the room, her boots crunching small pieces of debris as she walked through the scene. "Current student, alumni, family member who lost someone" she listed off possible connections as she slowly turned to take in the room.

"Could be a Slade groupie celebrating his hero." Spence replied. "He taped nails to the exterior of the bomb specifically to rip open flesh. That's a sadistic detail of Slade's the unsub copied."

"Except he tricked Gibbons into blowing himself up," JJ said as she stood up from leaning over to look at some damage done to the wall, "a groupie probably wouldn't show that much self-control."

"Somebody with an axe to grind would. Maybe he was a surrogate for the tormentors in high school he can't punish. Who were yours?" Spence asked offhand, taking a single solitary moment in the midst of the horror of the case to find out a bit more about his girlfriend's past.

"I don't even remember." JJ answered a little too quickly.

"You don't even remember? Wait, were you one of the mean girls?" Spence asked as he stepped towards JJ.

JJ turned to look at Spence with a surprised look on her face. She started to ask what… but all that managed to come out was, "No."

"Valedictorian, soccer scholarship, corn fed, but still a size zero. I think that you might have been a mean girl." Spence teased.

"I was actually one of the nice girls," JJ said as she moved past Spence, "even to guys like you." she teased back.

"Guys like me? I'll have you know that my social standing increased once I started winning at basketball."

"Oh yeah?" JJ said turning back to look at Spence, surprised at his involvement in athletics. She would have thought she would have known about something like that by now, especially after living some of the same years twice. "You played basketball?" she asked intrigued. He was tall but by no means could she picture her man participating in organized athletics.

"No I didn't play." Spence said as he looked up from the papers he was looking at. "I coached basketball. I broke down the opposing teams shooting strategy."

Realization crossed JJ's face and she pointed at Spence. "Is that why Morgan kicked you out of the pool last week?"

"Yeah, it took him three rounds to realize I was hustling him." Spence replied and the looked back down at the papers in his hands.

"Huh" JJ said nodding her head as she watched Spence move across the room to look at something else. "Just remember how much Morgan hates to lose Spence. You know he'll try and get back at you and it won't be pretty."

Spence snorted. "Right like I haven't been putting up with Morgan and his revenge and practical jokes for the last seven years."

"People get weird when there's money involved baby." JJ replied as she joined Spence in looking at the area of the room where the blast had originated.

Reid quirked an eyebrow and turned to look at JJ. "So it was okay for me to be in the pool as long as Morgan thought I was an easy mark who didn't know anything about basketball and that he'd easily be able to take my money?"

JJ tipped her head in contemplation. "You know I didn't think of it that way, but you're right. I'm guessing Morgan won't see it that way though. So maybe you should watch your back?" JJ asked as she looked up at Spence, and then feeling a little flirty, she leaned back and looked at her boyfriend's very fine posterior. "Or I could watch it for you." she said and then laughed as she stood up straight and winked at Spence.

* * *

><p>"Maybe Slade targeted them because they disgusted him?" JJ said in reference to the kids that had been in group two of the kill list as Spence's phone began to ring.<p>

"They didn't threaten Slade's sense of superiority. He wouldn't have even cared about them." Hotch replied.

"Okay, well maybe the partner put them on the list. They'd be closer to his social status than Slade's." JJ said as Spence's phone rang more.

"But why would the… I'm so sorry," Spence said as he reached in his pocket and pulled out his cell phone, hitting ignore, "Why would the unsub list kids that he fit in with?"

"Apparently that's how this clique worked. Kids in it were meaner to each other than kids on the outside. Garcia, separate out all of the kids who got into trouble regularly. Then eliminate the names that the partner put on the list. Now whose left that came to the memorial?" Hotch asked as he spoke into the speaker phone.

"Right, whoever made the list wouldn't put their name on it. Uh…" Garcia said as her fingers tapped away at the keys on her keyboard. "Sir, I think… I think I've got him." Garcia said as she looked at Lewis Stuart Ramsey's photo on her computer screen.

* * *

><p>"…The only way the human body could withstand that level of pain was if he couldn't feel it at all." Reid said as he finished up explaining pain asymbolia and the signs that their unsub had it.<p>

"Must take a major toll on someone's emotional development." Rossi said as Reid's cell phone began to ring.

"A significant contributor to our sense of empathy is the way we personally experience pain." Morgan said.

Reid pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and hit ignore, as he had been doing for the past couple of days now as Morgan spoke.

"And the unsub didn't develop his sense of empathy because it was cutoff." Hotch postulated as he stood with his arms crossed. "Does every person with asymbolia have this?" Hotch asked Reid.

"Actually, most feel empathy just fine," Reid replied as he talked, his hands gesturing, "which makes me think the rest of our profile is still accurate. Loner, invisible, outcast, boiling rage…" he listed off the details of the profile as his phone began to ring once again. "SON OF A BITCH" he yelled as he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. "Hi, this is Dr. Spencer Reid, I actually can come to the phone right now with a very special message that your mother is a…"

"Reid" Hotch said sternly, getting Reid's attention.

"Sorry, I'm really sorry. I don't know what got into me." Reid said as he closed his phone. "Where were we?"

"I'm going to have Garcia check medical records." Hotch said as he looked down at his notes. "What causes asymbolia?"

Reid turned and noticed Morgan's reaction to the last few minutes. He rambled off the facts as he profiled Morgan. "Sssevere trauma produces lesions in the insular cortex usually after a stroke," Reid said as he continued to puzzle out what was going on with Morgan, "but this unsub is so young that it's most likely caused by an external factor."

"Like a bomb going off next to him?" Rossi asked.

"Yeah, like a bomb going off next to him." Reid said as he looked directly at Morgan.

As Hotch turned and walked away to speak with Garcia, Reid moved to pull all of his files together where they lay on the table. "I will crush you." he said under his breath.

"What?" Morgan asked.

"What?" Reid repeated.

* * *

><p>"Hey you." JJ said turning to glance over her shoulder as Spence approached her from behind. Then she took in his clenching and unclenching hands, his tightly clenched jaw, and the tension in his body. "Hey, Spence, baby, are you okay?" she asked, her free hand reaching out rub his exposed forearm where the sleeve of his shirt was rolled up. "Here," she said handing him the cup of tea she'd just made, "you look like you could use this. Want to tell me what's going on?"<p>

"Morgan" he said in a terse voice. "I'm not sure how or why, but the reason my phone has been ringing constantly, non-stop for the last couple days is because of Morgan."

JJ's eyes widened in realization of what had probably happened. She'd heard from Emily how Rossi and Morgan had talked to the media to create a diversion at the Slade residence so that she and Hotch could get to the door to talk to Brandon. "Well, what are you going to do?" JJ asked concerned about how far this would escalate.

"I don't know yet… but I've got a few ideas." Spence replied as he glanced over his shoulder at where Morgan stood talking to Rossi as he took a sip of his tea.

* * *

><p>The team was on the jet on their way home. Hotch sat going over files and working on paperwork. JJ was in the galley making some tea for herself and Spence while she snacked on Cheetos. Morgan, Emily, Reid, and Rossi sat in a booth together. Reid was on the outside of the booth, waiting for JJ to finish up in the galley so they could curl up together on the couch for the plane ride home.<p>

Morgan was, as per usual, listening to music on his headphones. After several minutes however, his music was interrupted by the sound of Reid's voice coming through his headphones. 'We interrupt your regularly scheduled musical selection for an important announcement. Never wage a practical joke war against an MIT graduate as we have a history of going nuclear. Now sit back, relax, and enjoy the dulcet sounds of me screaming in your ear. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRR RRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG GHHHHHHHHHHH' Morgan pulled off his headphones and gasped in frustration. "Okay kid, that was cute, but that's all you got?" Morgan asked as he looked across the table at Reid, who was slumped down in his seat pretending to be asleep with his book on his chest.

Reid faked snoring as the sounds of his screams continued to come out of Morgan's headphones. He couldn't help but smirk slightly as Morgan's cell phone rang.

Morgan picked up his ringing cell, seeing Garcia's name on his phone he answered with his usual greeting. "Hey baby girl," only to be greeted by more of the dulcet tones of Reid screaming in his ear.

Reid smiled, the beginnings of his plan, his warning shot as it were, kicked over. He had not been exaggerating when he said he'd crush Morgan. He was done with being an easy target for Morgan. Enough was enough and after seven years, he'd been pushed too far. It was time to stand up for himself and push back.

Rossi pulled out his white handkerchief and waved it, hoping that either Reid or Morgan would surrender.

"Uh uh," Morgan uttered holding up his phone. "Alright Reid. It's on, just known that paybacks are a bitch."

Emily stood up and moved to go talk to Hotch. Reid snored in response to Morgan's comment.

"Hey," Emily said as she slid into the chair across from Hotch. "How's Jack?" she asked.

Hotch looked up at Emily, his eyes searching her face, wondering how she could have known.

"I just had a feeling." Emily replied to Hotch's silent question.

"There's a kid that's being mean to him at school," Hotch said as he closed up the files he was working on, "and Jack's solution is to invite him over and make friends with him."

Emily gave a half sigh; half laugh, and then smiled. "That is the sweetest…" she shrugged, "and saddest thing I've heard. How did you find out?"

Hotch smiled as he listened to Emily's response. "His teacher told me." He said as he looked down at the table, his eyes hooded and hiding his emotions.

"Jack didn't tell you?" Emily asked.

Hotch shook his head and then looked back up at Emily.

"Oh that must be hard." Emily replied. "He wants to solve it himself and you want to let him, but there's probably a part of you that wants to step in."

Hotch nodded. "There's part of me that wants to protect him from everything that could hurt him, but I know I can't."

Emily's lips formed a thin line and she nodded as she took in Hotch's words. "No, but you can show him that he doesn't have to face it alone."

Hotch was silent as he took in Emily's words. He glanced down at the table. "How did you get by in Paris?"

"Um… I um," Emily murmured as she leaned back in her seat, brushing her bangs back from her face, "I played a lot of online Scrabble with some girl named Cheeto-Breath." She said as she looked past Hotch to where JJ stood in the gallery snacking on her Cheetos while she got tea and a snack ready for her and Spence.

Emily smiled, remembering how good it had felt to still have a bit of a connection to home as Hotch turned and looked over the back of his seat to see that JJ was snacking on Cheetos, the bag crinkling in her hands as she paced in the galley.

* * *

><p>"So, that's it? That's all you're going to do?" JJ asked about Spence's plan to get back at Morgan as they were in the car on the ride home from the airstrip.<p>

Spence grinned as he turned to look at JJ. "Not by a long shot. I'm a graduate of Caltech and MIT. My alumni would be terribly disappointed in me if I quit after just a warning shot."

JJ smiled and shook her head. If nothing else, things in the office would be interesting over the next few weeks she thought to herself as she linked her hand in Spence's and thought about how nice it would be to crawl into bed and sleep when they got home.


	22. Chapter 22

I'm sure you've all already figured out that we aren't getting to the holidays of season 7 by the end of 2012. Where did last year go? We'll get there as quickly as I can make it happen - then we'll take a little hiatus from the roads series so I can work on some other things... but don't worry - we'll definitly be back :D

You can read the complete version of this chapter here:

www. thewriterscoffeeshop library/viewuser. php?uid= 60220

Just take out the spaces ;)

On with the chapter...

Happy reading and enjoy :D

* * *

><p>Morgan bit his lip as he sat on the edge of Emily's desk watching Reid's reaction to the note he'd left on Reid's desk while he went to get coffee. His prize of this prank securely tucked away in his bottom desk drawer in his office and prepared for phase two, to take place after their next case away.<p>

_Dearest Spencer,_

_I'm writing to inform you that I've decided to take a vacation. I simply can't go on lugging and toting things about day in, day out. I long to see the world beyond the grisly, grueling, cases that take you and I across the country. _

_Have no fear. I shall return, hopefully a little lighter in my bearing and once again happy to bear my burden as your dutiful servant. _

_Yours faithfully, _

_The messenger bag of Dr. Spencer J. Reid; PHD; PHD; PHD; BS; BS; BS; BS, BA; Agent FBI, BAU division._

"What 'cha got there pretty boy?" Morgan asked with a nod to the note in Reid's hand.

Reid scowled at Morgan over the top of the note, refusing to acknowledge Morgan with an answer. He stood, folding the note and placing it in his pocket and then grabbed his coffee cup and his cell phone. He had a stop to make at Home Depot over lunch. Two could play this game.

Morgan laughed as he watched Reid walk away at Reid's clear distraught and upset over his precious messenger bag being 'on vacation'.

* * *

><p>"Why are we sitting here with the engine turned off?" JJ asked in confusion as Spence pulled into a different parking space from where they'd parked that morning and turned off the ignition. "I'm fine with going parking, but can you at least take me for dinner first, I'm starving… plus I think there are more romantic places to go parking than the Academy parking ramp." She teased as she reached over and squeezed Spence's hand, sure that there was some other reason he'd stopped the car in the ramp.<p>

"Shh, watch." Spence said as he nodded to a person walking out of the elevators and into the parking ramp.

"Is that Morgan?" JJ asked, still confused about what was going on.

"Uh huh" Spence replied gleefully about what was about to happen.

Morgan was lost in thought as he left the elevator and headed into the parking ramp. He'd just left the gym and his headphones were on as he pressed the button his key fob to unlock his truck. He slid the strap for his duffle bag off his shoulder and blindly threw it, without looking, in the bed of his truck. He paused in shock when instead of landing with a thud in the back of his truck bed, it bounced back towards him. He barely managed to catch it as he stood there in shock looking at his shrink wrapped truck.

JJ turned to look at Spence. "What just happened?"

"Behold the tensile strength of industrial plastic wrap." Spence answered gleefully.

"You saran wrapped Morgan's truck?" JJ asked, her eyes going wide in appreciation for the levels this prank war was reaching.

"Mm hm" Spence replied. "At least I didn't take his truck and hide it somewhere for who knows how long."

"What are you talking about?" JJ asked in confusion.

"Morgan left a note on my desk from my messenger bag saying it was going on vacation." Spence replied, pulling the folded up note out of his pants pocket and handing it to JJ.

JJ bit her lip to keep from laughing at the note and shook her head. "So are we going to stay and watch Morgan unwrap his truck?"

Spence shrugged. "Nah, it's going to take him at least an hour, if not longer with all the rolls of plastic wrap I used. Let's go pick up Henry."

* * *

><p>"Mommy!" Henry squealed in delight at hearing Mommy's voice at the door.<p>

"Henry!" JJ replied, equally enthusiastic as she dropped to her knees to catch her charging toddler. "Did you have fun with Daddy today?" she asked as she stood up and settled Henry on her hip.

"Uh huh" Henry nodded. "We wen' to da park."

"You did?" JJ asked. "Did you happen to tell Daddy what you want to dress up as for Halloween?" she asked as she glanced at Will.

Will shook his head. "We talked about how big boys get to pick their own costumes, but we weren't able to narrow it down. Maybe you an' Spencer will have better luck than we did getting' 'im to pick what he wants to dress up as."

JJ nodded her head. "At least we have about a week to figure it out. What do you say Henry? Should we go home?"

Henry nodded. "Sunny, Sunny, tome on Sunny we going home wid Mommy." He said as he called his dog.

Sunny popped up from where she was sunning herself in the living room and ran eagerly to her master, pressing doggy kisses all over his face.

Henry laughed as Sunny pressed against him and licked his face.

JJ laughed as she watched Sunny and Henry together. "Do you have all your stuff?" JJ asked, brushing Henry's hair out of his eyes as she took the leash Will held out to her and clipped it onto Sunny's collar.

"Yep" Henry replied hopping over to where his backpack of favorite things was and picked it up.

"Okay bud, have fun with Mommy and Uncle Spencer and I'll see you in a few days okay?" Will said as he knelt down and helped Henry with his backpack.

"Uh huh" Henry nodded. "Bye bye Daddy." He said as he hugged Daddy goodbye.

* * *

><p>"If it's a stranger abduction the first 24 hours are critical. This kid's already been missing twice that long." Reid stated.<p>

"Which is why we shouldn't waste any more time." Hotch said as he looked up from the case file. "Let's go."

* * *

><p>"Saint Louis… oh probably a couple days…I'll let you know…can't wait. Bye." Rossi spoke into his phone and then turned back to the team, tucking his phone into the inside pocket of his suit coat as he took a seat with the team. "What?" he asked as he took his seat and caught the smirks on Emily and Morgan's faces.<p>

"Nothin'. Just somebody's got a little extra pep in their step this morning, that's all." Morgan grinned.

"Probably doubled up on his vitamins." Emily said.

"Oh he doubled up on something alright." Morgan teased.

JJ laughed, enjoying the familial teasing that lightened the mood a bit as they prepared to go over the case.

"Garcia, what have you got on the mother?" Hotch asked, getting down to business.

* * *

><p>"Hey pretty boy, looks like you have a package." Morgan said with a grin as he nodded to Reid's desk where a box sat.<p>

Reid studied the box, unsure about what could be inside. "There's no return address." Reid replied in concern and confusion.

"Well it has to be okay if it was delivered here right?" Morgan asked. "All the packages delivered here get screened, so I don't think you have anything to worry about."

Reid used his keys to slice the packaging tape on the top of the box and then pulled back the flaps. His eyes widened at the sight of a very familiar and missed item, his messenger bag. On top of his messenger bag rested a thick padded envelope. He pulled out the envelope, opening it to find a letter and a stack of photos.

_Dearest Spencer,_

_Ah to be home again! I heard you were in Saint Louis this week, and am surprised that our paths did not cross. I must have just missed you. I can tell you, traveling on a commercial jet offers little of the comfort we have on the BAU jet, especially when compared to the luggage compartment of a commercial airplane. The indignity! As you can see, I would rather ship myself back via FedEx than suffer the injustice, disrespect, and dishonor of the luggage compartment one more time._

_I took plenty of photos to share my travels with you. I sincerely hope you enjoy them and that my absence did not hinder you in the least._

_Yours with renewed purpose,_

_The messenger bag of Dr. Spencer J. Reid; PHD; PHD; PHD; BS; BS; BS; BS, BA; Agent FBI, BAU division._

JJ chuckled as she read the note over Spence's shoulder and then saw the photos as Spence flipped through photos that must have been photo shopped of Spence's messenger bag in front of the Golden Gate Bridge, Mount Rushmore, the Gateway Arch in Saint Louis, the Eiffel Tower, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Taj Mahal, and several other world renowned landmarks. Clearly Morgan had enlisted Garcia's help in this prank.

* * *

><p>"How about ten pairs of shoes, that has to be enough right? Ten?" Spence asked JJ, clutching his returned messenger bag tightly as they led the rest of the team down the hallway to the elevators.<p>

"Ugh, Spence, it's different with the ladies. We need them to match our belts, our handbags, our skirts, and fashions change with the seasons." JJ said as she looked at her boyfriend.

"Yes, boys are so boring," Garcia sighed as she reached over to brush a stray piece of lint off of Morgan's leather jacket, "Pants, shoes, out the door."

Spence turned to look at Garcia as she spoke, hoping her words would shed some light on the enigma of women's footwear. 'Nope, no help.' He thought as he followed JJ the last few steps to the elevator, turning as JJ pushed the button and Emily began to speak.

"Although it's not like men don't have their thing. I dated a golfer once. He had twelve putters in his closet." Emily said as they stood waiting for the elevator. "But this conversation is reminding me that I need new boots." She said pointing at JJ where she stood next to Reid.

JJ pointed back, and then glanced up as the elevator dinged and the doors opened, then she stepped into the elevator.

"Oh! They're having a sale on at De Mills on those tall shaft kitty heals. You like those. Do you want to go?" Garcia asked Emily as they followed JJ into the elevator.

"Yeah" Emily replied, looking over her shoulder at PG.

Morgan wrapped an arm around Reid's shoulders. "You gettin' all this kid?" he asked as they moved to follow the ladies into the elevator.

"No" Reid replied holding his messenger bag tight in his grip, now more confused than ever about why JJ, or any woman for that matter, needed all the shoes that were in their closet at home.

JJ smirked; a plan formulating in her mind for how she could help enlighten Spence to at least one of the reasons women owned so many different shoes as he stepped into the elevator and stood next to her.

* * *

><p>JJ knocked on the doorframe of the open door to their home office where Spence currently sat behind the large mahogany desk, his head down working on an article he'd been asked to write for a journal. He'd been writing at a furious pace to finish the article by the deadline. Apparently all of his notes had been in his messenger bag, whereever that had been for the last week. "Hey, are you almost done?" she asked and then leaned against the doorframe, waiting for the moment she'd have Spence's attention.<p>

"Yeah, almost I just need to…" Spence trailed off as he looked up at JJ, left speechless by the sight of his girlfriend and her attire. It was sexy. It was shimmery. It was shear. Then his eyes trailed the length of her lean tone athletic legs to the very high heels gracing her feet, and his jaw dropped while his eyes rose, reversing their course up along her body until he met hers.

JJ smiled and chuckled as Spence's jaw dropped at the sight of the strappy six inch stiletto fuck-me-now heels encasing her feet. Mission accomplished. She strode across the room, her shear lavender lingerie and matching fuck-me-now stilettos accentuating her blond hair, blue eyes, and fair complexion.

Spence swallowed as JJ crossed the room and stopped in front of him. Then she leaned back against the edge of the desk. He had to swallow again as she gracefully lifted herself up to sit on the desk in front of him and crossed her legs, the toes of one of her well pedicured feet and the tip of her shoe tracing along the inseam of his pants. "I… JJ…what…oh…" he moaned.

JJ mercifully pulled her foot away, allowing Spence's genius brain to catch up to rest of his body. "So, this is just one example of why we ladies need multiple pairs of shoes Spence. Besides needing them to match our belts, handbags, and skirts, it's also a nice effect when they match our lingerie." She purred as she watched the gears turn in Spence's head, her hands bracing herself as she leaned back on the desk.

Spence's brain suddenly caught up and his mouth snapped shut. "Yes, yes it is." He replied as he leaned forward, kissing JJ's knee where it rested across her other thigh, his hands sliding along her smooth creamy thighs as he moved the wheeled desk chair closer.

JJ moaned; her head rolling back on her shoulders as Spence kissed her crossed leg at the knee again. Then, he gently lifted her leg from where it rested across her other thigh, kissing and nuzzling as he did so. He moved back and kissed the arch of her foot. His tongue laved at her ankle. His forehead and nose grazed along her calf. He kissed behind her knee, humming slightly as he nipped at a pulse point.

Spence took his time working his way up her thigh, and then when he reached the apex of her thigh, he lifted her other leg and repeated the process as achingly slow as the first time.

JJ lowered herself to rest on her elbows as she watched Spence through half lidded eyes.

Spence kissed and nuzzled at the crease of one of JJ's thighs, followed by the other, his hands sliding up underneath the shear lavender baby doll and cupping her ass. Then, he lifted his head and grinned at JJ as he patted the side of her ass. "Lift up babe."

JJ's head dropped back as she used her elbows and her knees, which were currently over Spence's shoulders, to lift up off of the desk.

Spence pulled JJ's panties down, allowing her to drop back down to the desk. He rolled the desk chair back as he stood up momentarily; dragging JJ's panties down the length of her legs and over her heals. Then he proceeded to kiss his way back up JJ's legs again, pausing as he reached her knee to lean down and kiss her where she lay propped up on her elbows on the desk.

JJ wrapped first one arm and then the other around Spence's neck and shoulders as he leaned down to kiss her. Her head fell back once more as Spence moved to kiss her neck, leaving a trail of moist wet flesh in the wake of the tender open mouth kisses he pressed to her soft skin. JJ shivered as he gently blew across the wet skin.

"Spence, baby," JJ moaned as Spence reached up and removed her arms from around his neck and shoulders, lowering her to the desk as he moved to sit back down in the office chair. She quickly propped herself back up on her elbows.

Spence repeated kissing a trail of open mouth kisses along JJ's soft smooth skin, this time on her thigh. He paused every so often, his breath blowing along the moist path.

JJ moaned, goose bumps rising on her skin as she squirmed in anticipation.

* * *

><p>They lay spent in each other's arms for more than a few moments, until JJ began to wiggle her feet against his ass.<p>

Spence lifted up and looked down at JJ. "Are you okay?"

JJ nodded. "Yeah…I just…foot cramp." She replied with a slight wince.

Spence lifted himself out of JJ's arms and stood up, unwrapping one of her legs from around his waist as he did so. He held her foot as his fingers fumbled with the tiny buckle of her shoe. Once her shoe was unclasped, he gently pulled it off of her foot, allowing it to dangle from one of his fingers as he examined it. "I can see why." He replied as he took in the steep angle required of her foot in order to wear these shoes. He allowed her shoe to drop to the floor into the pile of clothes underneath the desk.

JJ purred as Spence grasped her foot with both hands and began to rub, his thumbs pressing against the arch of her foot and working out the cramped muscles.

Spence pressed a kiss to JJ's ankle and then gently lowered her foot and peeled her other leg from around his waist. He removed her heel, dropping it to join its companion on the floor and repeated the foot massage on that foot. After gently lowering her other leg, he held out his hand and helped JJ to sit up.

JJ wrapped her arms around Spence, nuzzling against his cheek. "So, do you have a better insight into women's shoes?"

"No, but I have a better insight into your shoes. When are you going shoe shopping with Garcia and Emily again?" he teased.

JJ laughed and lightly smacked his shoulder.

Spence grinned as he leaned back to look at JJ. "What do you say to a hot bath and bed? I'll clean this up in the morning before we go to pick up Henry." He said with a glance around at the scattered papers, pens, books, clothes, and shoes littering the floor of their home office.

"Mm that sounds like heaven." JJ replied, leaning in to kiss Spence.

Spence nodded and stepped back out of the 'V' of JJ's legs and wrapped one arm around her back and one under her knees, picking her up and heading out of the room.

"Spence!" JJ yelped in surprise, her arms tightening their grip around his neck and shoulders. "I can walk baby."

"Nope, high heels cause muscle and tendon distortion. You could hurt yourself transitioning too quickly from the tension caused in the Achilles tendon by high heels to being flat footed." Spence replied as he made his way across their living room and started to climb the stairs.

JJ tossed her head back and laughed. "And just what would you recommend Dr. Reid?" she asked in a flirty tone of voice as she trailed the fingers of one hand along his collar bone.

Spence grinned and looked down at JJ as they reached the top of the stairs. "I think a nice hot bath, a foot and leg massage, and then cuddling in bed sounds like the perfect precautionary measures." He said as he crossed the threshold of their bedroom doorway.

JJ fake pouted. "Poor me. I suppose I'll just have to take my medicine like a big girl." She teased, and then leaned up and kissed Spence as he headed for their en suite bathroom.


	23. Chapter 23

See... I do still exist. :D

I don't own it. I'm not getting paid either.

Happy reading and enjoy :D

* * *

><p>"Hm" JJ yawned, resting her head on Spence's shoulder and wrapping her arms around his waist as he pressed the button for their floor and the doors of the elevator closed. "Wake me up when we get to my desk."<p>

Spence shook his head. "We'll stop by the break room first and get coffee for you."

"Mm I love you." JJ murmured into the cotton of his sweater vest. "Remind me of this morning the next time that I think a movie night and shopping with Garcia and Emily on a school night is a good idea."

"Okay" Spence agreed as he rubbed JJ's side. "At least everything is all set for Halloween."

JJ smiled against Spence's shoulder, knowing how much he loved the holiday. She couldn't wait to see Henry and Spence dressed up as Spider-Man together. "Mm hm. Your and Henry's costumes should be delivered later this week. Pen ordered them online."

Spence nodded in reply. "What about yours?"

"Mine is a surprise that you will have to wait until Halloween to see." JJ said as she enjoyed the last few seconds of snuggling against her boyfriend's chest. Hopefully today would just be an office day and they could go home and have an early night.

The elevator dinged as it stopped on sixth floor and the doors opened revealing the still dark BAU. Apparently they were the first ones there.

"Come on, let's get you coffee." Spence said as he led JJ directly into the break room for caffeine before heading to their desks and the pile of consults that undoubtedly waited for them.

JJ stood leaning against Spence, her arms wrapped around his waist and her cheek resting on his chest with her eyes closed as they waited for the coffee to brew.

Spence rubbed JJ's back soothingly while his other hand rested on the small of her back as they enjoyed the moment of quiet other than the slow drip drip drip and woosh of water running through the coffee pot.

A few minute later the coffee finished and they headed for their desks and waiting paperwork, still tired, but perking up from the coffee.

"What the…" Reid paused in the middle of the aisle between his desk and JJ's, not quite sure what exactly to make of his desk.

JJ managed to stop herself from running into Spence's back and spilling her coffee on him. She peeked around his tall frame, her jaw dropping at the sight before her. Everything at Spence's desk was wrapped in tin foil. The chair, the computer, the pictures, the desk itself, the individual drawers, a couple of pens, each individual case file. All wrapped in tin foil. If it was on Spence's desk when he left at the end of the day yesterday, or a part of his desk space, it was now wrapped in tin foil.

As Spence and JJ stood staring at the shininess of Spence's desk, Morgan slipped into the bullpen behind them and chuckled as he walked past them to the mezzanine and headed for his office.

Spence shook his head and slipped his messenger bag strap off over his head and dropped his bag on his desk as he tried to fathom how much time Morgan had spent wrapping his entire desk in tin foil.

Morgan paused and peeked around the corner of the hallway, not wanting to miss the next part.

Spence flopped down into his desk chair.

'PHHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAA' sounded from his chair as he made contact with the seat.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Spence screamed as he jumped up from the seat.

JJ jumped at the sound coming from Spence's chair followed closely by Spence's startled scream. Then she turned to look where she heard Morgan laughing in the hallway to his office.

Morgan wiped the tears from his eyes from laughing so hard he cried at the sight of pretty boy jumping a mile high at the sound of the air horn he'd attached to the bottom of Reid's desk chair going off, and then turned and headed for his office.

* * *

><p>JJ laughed as Spence showed and explained how the cardboard box, one gallon milk, cork, screw, mouse trap, and string that he was assembling was going to work. "You're having fun with this aren't you?"<p>

Spence looked like a little boy as he sheepishly nodded while filling the milk jug with glitter. "I haven't hacked like this since MIT."

JJ tipped her head to the side. "Hack? I thought Penelope was our resident hacker?" JJ said as she stepped close to Spence and wrapped her arms around his waist as she leaned against him, lifting her head to look up at him.

Spence smiled as he looked down at JJ. "Not that kind of hacking babe. Caltech and MIT both have a long history and tradition of student pranks. At MIT they call it hacking."

JJ peered up at Spence. "Wouldn't the faculty want to discourage pranks? It seems like things could get kind of crazy."

Spence smiled as he rubbed his thumbs across the small of JJ's back underneath her t-shirt. "At a normal school, probably, but Caltech and MIT are both renowned for their innovation and highly technical levels of education. The practical jokes and pranks are meant prominently demonstrate technical aptitude and cleverness or sometimes to commemorate popular culture and historical topics. So the faculty members see good pranks as a practical application of knowledge and encourage them."

* * *

><p>"Hey Morgan," JJ said from her desk where everyone was congregated as a sweaty Morgan walked into the bullpen, "I thought you left a while ago?"<p>

"Yeah, I went to leave after working out and realized I forgot my truck keys." He said as he walked through the bullpen and up to his office.

Spence smirked and fought against the grin attempting to grow on his face as he glanced across the aisle to where JJ sat at her desk as they waited to see if Morgan would end up springing the trap.

Morgan stood in his office behind his desk double checking that he turned off his computer and hadn't forgotten anything else. Seeing that he had everything, he opened his desk drawer to pull out his truck keys. Then he heard a loud 'SNAP' come from the ceiling above him and looked up.

"SON OF A…" came the cry of surprise from Morgan's office.

"What did you… OH MY…" Garcia exclaimed as Morgan appeared on the mezzanine.

Emily snorted as she tried not to laugh, but then lost it as she couldn't help but laugh at the sight Morgan made.

At that moment Hotch walked out of his office, bag in hand to head home to spend time with Jack. He looked at the sight of the younger members of the team laughing in the bullpen and then turned to look where they were looking. His eyebrow quirked up in true Hotch fashion as he studied the spectacle that was Derek Morgan at the moment. "I know you and Garcia are close Morgan, but I don't think you can pull off that color pink the way that Garcia can." He said, somehow managing a straight face as he took in the sight of Morgan completely covered in sparkly hot pink glitter.

Morgan raised his hand to his still sweaty face and attempted to wipe the glitter away... but all that did was spread the pink sparkles around more.

* * *

><p>Henry patted Sunny's head as she brought back her ball and dropped it at his feet, panting. JJ and Spence both reached over from where they stood on either side of Henry and scratched Sunny behind her ears.<p>

Sunny, for her part, reveled in the attention and affection from her master and two of his big people. They'd been at the park all afternoon playing and running… and now she was tired.

JJ noticed how much Sunny was panting and reached down pulling a bottle of water out of the bag they'd brought with them. "Are you thirsty girl?" JJ asked as she opened the wide mouthed bottle of water and tipped it towards Sunny so that she could drink.

Henry giggled at the sight of his puppy drinking water out of a bottle. Then he yawned.

After a long drink of water, Sunny laid down, her head resting on her paws as she looked up at Henry.

"I think it's probably time to go Henry." Uncle Spence said as he squatted down next to Henry. "Sunny is tired." He said as he rubbed the pups back.

"We come back tomorrow?" Henry asked as he pet Sunny's nose and she licked his fingers causing him to giggle.

Spence looked up at JJ, and saw her nod in agreement. "Sure bud; we can come back tomorrow. But for now we should go. It's going to be dark soon and we still need to walk home."

JJ smiled as she took out Sunny's leash and clipped it on her collar. "Okay, let's go." She said as she stood back up.

"Do you want me to take her?" Spence asked as he held his hand out for the leash.

"No, I've got her. Besides, you might need to carry someone." JJ said as she nodded at Henry whose head was bobbing tiredly as he rubbed at his eyes.

"Hey little man, you going to be able to make it?" Spence asked as he looked down at Henry.

Henry nodded and rubbed his eyes again. "Uh huh."

"Are you sure? How about a ride home?" Spence asked with a soft smile as his godson leaned against him.

"Otay" Henry nodded as he looked as he looked up at Uncle Spence.

"Great!" Spence replied. "Do you want me to ride on your shoulders then? That would probably be easiest for you. I don't want you to drop me." He teased with a grin as he looked down at Henry.

Henry laughed. "You too big! I not carry you!"

"You can't?" Spence replied with a wink at JJ who was grinning at her boys' antics. "OH… you want me to carry you… oh… oh… okay." Spence replied as he bent over and scooped Henry up into his arms.

Henry giggled at Uncle Spence's silliness and turned in his perch on Uncle Spence's arm to look at Mommy and Sunny. "Uncle 'Pence silly Mommy."

JJ smiled as she took Spence free hand in her free hand and the started to walk home from the park. "I know he is, but we love him anyway don't we little man?"

"Uh huh" Henry replied nodding his head which caused his blond locks that were just like Mommy's to cover his face and his eyes. He reached up and brushed them back as he rubbed his eyes again. Then he laid his head down on Uncle Spence's shoulder. He was asleep before they even made it out of the park.

* * *

><p>"Oh, hey Rossi, do you think you could help me with a consult for Wildwood PD?" Morgan asked after shifting his path to where Rossi sat in the bullpen from where he'd been heading for Rossi's office.<p>

"Oh sure," Rossi answered in a subdued tone as he sat his newspaper of to the side.

"Now that I noticed." JJ said, her hands tucked into her pockets, as the team except for Hotch and Garcia huddled around where Rossi sat in the bullpen.

"Somethin' goin' on?" Morgan asked as he studied Rossi's facial expression.

"How did it go the other night?" Emily asked curious as to how dinner went with his first ex-wife.

"What happened the other night?" Morgan asked curious what Emily knew that he didn't.

"Are you okay?" Reid asked.

Rossi looked around at the majority of the team, feeling like a deer in the headlights. "And why wouldn't I be?" he asked managing to muster a slight bit of bravado into his response.

JJ glanced over her shoulder at Emily and then back at Rossi, "You seem distracted."

"I'm considering a purch… ase." Rossi said, trailing off as he looked down at the newspaper to find that it showed and ad for Second Life Thrift Store.

Morgan nodded. "Come on now Rossi, you know we're not buying that. What's really goin' on?" he asked.

Rossi sighed and then stood up from his chair. "Ah, look, it was a late night with Ringo and not enough coffee. I mean the guys a world class drummer, but don't think I didn't wipe the floor with him in Rockband."

"Alright, what do you think?" JJ asked as she attempted to use her still relatively new profiler skills to figure out if Rossi was lying or telling the truth.

"He could be telling the truth…I only played him to the easy level." Emily said, her eyes squinting slightly as she attempted to discern if Rossi was telling the truth or not.

"I can't tell." Reid added as he studied Rossi's expression and mannerisms.

"And you never will," Rossi replied pointing his finger at Reid, glad that his many years as a profiler had helped him cover, if only just barely, what was really going on from the team.

Reid smiled ever so slightly in response.

"Let's get started." Hotch said from the mezzanine as Penelope followed behind him on their way to the round table room.

* * *

><p>"So what's the significance of the water burial?" JJ asked as the team worked their way through the details of the case on the jet. "Is he visiting the dump sites to relive his crimes, or is he using it as a forensic counter measure?"<p>

"It could be both." Hotch replied as the team discussed the unsub murdering and dumping bodies in California's Angeles National Forest. A new victim, Nick Scirvin, had been abducted just that morning not long after the discovery of three victims in Ridge Canyon Lake that had gone missing in the last week.

* * *

><p>"If this unsub is so obsessed with death then Jake Shepherd was the perfect person to talk to. He'd been there and back again." Hotch said as he stood with his arms crossed while the team discussed what they knew so far.<p>

"Come on guys," Morgan said, "gentle lights, shadowy figures. Those are the lights in the emergency room and the doctors hovering over the patients and we all know that. No one ever actually sees the 'after life'" Morgan argued as he made quotes marks in the air with his fingers at after life as the team looked on, all with varying expressions of agreement or disagreement on their faces.

"I did." Reid said from where he stood leaning against a pillar, drawing the attention of the entire team. "Before Tobias Hankel resuscitated me, I had that exact experience and I wasn't in an emergency room, I was in a shed."

"Reid, you never told me that." Morgan said as he looked up at Reid in shock.

"I'm a man of science. I… I didn't know how to deal with it. There's no quantifiable proof that God exists, and yet, in that moment… I was faced with something that I couldn't explain. Still can't." Reid said as he looked over to where JJ sat at the table, and made eye contact with her.

JJ said a silent prayer of thanks that someone had been watching out for Spence that night… that it hadn't been his time… either of the two times she'd lived through that horrific night.

Morgan looked down and away, knowing better than to challenge whatever Reid had decided to believe about what he experienced that night.

Emily sat silently pondering the difference between Reid's experience and her own as she looked down at the table.

"What if this unsub has had a similar experience and this is his way of looking for answers?" Hotch asked.

"If that's the case, why kill Jake Shepherd? Why not just talk to him?" Rossi asked.

"He wanted… to see if he had the same experience as before." Emily replied in understanding.

"Once isn't enough?" JJ asked in a subdued voice as she sat up in her seat and turned to look at Emily.

"Not if Jake didn't see the same thing the unsub did. He wants to know if the experience can change. I can relate to that."

At everyone's questioning glances, Emily explained. "Uh, Reid felt a warmth and saw a light. When I coded in the ambulance all I felt was cold and darkness," She said as she looked around at the team, "and I would like to think that there is a different future waiting for me."

* * *

><p>"Hey you." JJ said with a soft smile on her face as Spence sank into the seat next to her on the jet. "You look cold… want to share my blanket?" she asked as she took in the sight Spence's damp hair. He'd managed to change into some dry clothes from his go bag after having to go into the lake to retrieve Chase Whitaker.<p>

Spence granted JJ a smile as she wrapped the blanket around the two of them and curled into his side, her knees in his lap and her chin resting on his shoulder as she ran her fingers across his chest. "So is that what you were talking about on Twelfth Night when you were talking about being a man of science but wanting to believe?" she asked softly so that they wouldn't be overheard.

Spence nodded his head as he placed his hand over JJ's on his chest and interwove their fingers. He lifted her hand up to his lips and kissed her palm and then allowed her hand to drop back to his chest.

"Baby, you could have told me." JJ murmured as the fingers of her other hand played with the hair at the nape of his neck.

Spence shook his head and turned to look at JJ. "At the time I was overwhelmed… I just couldn't explain it… and I didn't know what to say… and on top of everything else… it was just too much."

JJ nodded in understanding as she thought back to that night… that original night and the nights after that came after that one… the weeks and months that this Spence had suffered through alone. "I know baby… I know. I'm glad though that whoever or whatever it was that was there with you in that shack that night was there watching over you." Her fingers clenched against his chest as she remembered watching him spasm, convulse, and laying dead on the floor of the shack as she gave another silent prayer of thanks as she leaned in and gently kissed him.

Spence returned JJ's kiss and then allowed his forehead to rest against hers as they quietly talked and cuddled for a while before they decided to sleep.

* * *

><p>"Do you mind if I?" Emily asked quietly as she indicated the seat across from where Rossi sat staring out the window.<p>

Rossi turned to look at Emily and shook his head and then gave a half smile as he accepted the drink she held out to him.

"I thought maybe you could use that after this case… and with everything else…" Emily trailed off.

Rossi nodded as he took a sip of the Scotch she'd brought him.

"So… do you want to talk about it?" Emily asked in concern for her friend.

"I know I said that I didn't have a choice… but I can't do it." Rossi said as he turned to look out the window. "I can't help Carolyn end what so many people fight for… what we fight to save every day." What you came so close to losing, Rossi thought silently as he looked at Emily.

Emily nodded in understanding. Helping Carolyn end her life would go against everything Dave Rossi stood for. She just hoped that Carolyn understood that when he told her no.


	24. Chapter 24

I know I've been mysteriously absent and lacking in the update department for months now. I do want to say that rumors of my demise and or retirement from writing are greatly exaggerated! :D 2014 was kicking me in the teeth a bit... but I hopefully have it under control now and having time to write can resume.

The unabridged version of this chapter can be found over at TWCS or AO3 - the links to my profile on both sites are on my profile page. And now, without further adieu, on with chapter 24! Also - you might remember a little story from a couple of years ago by the name of "The Clothes Make the Man" this chapter picks up right where that one shot left off... so if you want to know what precedes the beginning of this chapter - I recommend reading that first as a refresher. :D

As always, happy reading and enjoy :D

* * *

><p>"JJ, beautiful, beautiful, JJ…" Spence said as he ran his fingers through her hair, while they lay, legs tangled and recuperating in each other's arms.<p>

"Hmm," JJ sigh in bliss filled content, "you're very good-looking yourself Dr. Reid, or should I call you Spiderman?" She countered playfully with a glance over her shoulder to the floor where Spence's discarded Halloween costume lay as she ran her hand lightly up and down his side.

Spence grinned. "Tonight was fun." He said as he pulled her closer, kissing her head and then burying his face in her blonde tresses.

JJ grinned and propped her chin up from where she lay sprawled across his chest, their legs tangled together. "It really was. Thank you for dressing up as Spiderman. I know you didn't really want to and you only did it because Henry asked."

Spence shrugged as his hand trailed through JJ's hair and down her back. "Anything for my little buddy."

JJ smiled at the thought of the adorable pictures of Spence and Henry together, both dressed as Spiderman and making a muscle poses that she'd managed to take before Pen had shooed them out the door so she could have the night with her Godson. "I hope Pen isn't letting him eat too much candy tonight."

* * *

><p>Penelope smiled at the sight of Henry and Kevin both passed out on her couch while Spiderman cartoons continued to play on the TV. She pressed the off button and stood up, glad that wise Fairy Godmother that she was; she'd had the foresight to give Henry a bath and get him changed into his new Spiderman pjs once JJ and Reid had left. She bent and picked up Henry up, enjoying the weight of the small boy in her arms; then she nudged Kevin with her knee.<p>

"Bacon makes everything better…" he mumbled in his sleep as he pitched bacon wrapped donut dogs as a snack to his fellow members of the Justice League in his sleep.

Penelope raised an eyebrow and shook her head in amusement at the quirkiness of her boyfriend as she headed off to tuck her favorite little munchkin in for the night.

* * *

><p>"Spence?" JJ mumbled into her pillow as she fumbled in the empty bed next to her, reaching out for Spence and not finding him. She lifted her head and looked at the clock; 2 AM. 'That can only mean one thing.' She thought as she twisted around, threw off the covers, and climbed out of bed. She entered the walk in closet, rummaging by memory in the almost dark, save for the night-light in the bathroom and found her favorite pajamas of Spence's to borrow, pulling on the faded and worn Caltech t-shirt as she headed across the bedroom, pausing in the doorway just long enough to step into the soft flannel pajama pants.<p>

Her footsteps fell softly on the carpet of the stairs, her hand gliding along the banister as she silently hoped to find Spence asleep in front of the fireplace in the living room. She paused at the bottom of the stairs; no fire in the fireplace and no Spence, sleeping or waking, on the couch. Then she noticed the flickering light coming from the staircase to their finished basement. She followed the beckoning glow, her feet padding down the carpet covered flight of stairs, pausing at the bottoms at the sight of Spence's head over the back of the couch and a commercial on the big screen TV in front of him.

"Hey you," JJ whispered in his ear, as she stepped up behind the couch, wrapping her arms around his neck and across his chest as she leaned down, "couldn't sleep?"

Spence shook his head no. "Sorry, I didn't want to wake you. Besides, at least tonight there are lots of great old horror movies on to watch." He whispered, turning his head to kiss JJ.

JJ pulled back out of the kiss, released her arms from around Spence and stood up. "What are you watching?" She asked as walked around the end of the sectional and sat down next to him.

"A classic monster movie marathon," Spence replied, wrapping an arm around JJ as she sat next to him. "_Dracula_ just finished… Frankenstein is about to start and then _The Mummy _is on after that_._"

JJ smiled at the gleeful tone in Spence's voice, knowing his enjoyment of all things Halloween. She cuddled into his side as the black and white classic appeared on the screen. She wrapped one arm around his waist and rested her other arm across his shoulder as she dug her fingers into the muscles of his neck and the base of his skull, knowing that it was another headache that was preventing him from sleeping.

Spence moaned and melted into her touch, the feel of her finger nails lightly scraping against his scalp distracting him, even if only momentarily, from the headache that had kept him from falling asleep hours ago.

* * *

><p>"Emily, love, not that I don't think it's absolutely brilliant to hear from you," Clyde answered his phone and stood up to look out the window of his London office, "but isn't rather late for you to be calling darling?"<p>

Emily took a deep breath. "I couldn't sleep… and I thought maybe I'd call you at the beginning of your day."

"Ah well you must be shattered love." Clyde replied as he leaned back against the edge desk and looked out the window.

Emily shrugged. "I'm tired, but every time I close my eyes…"

Clyde's chin dropped to his chest, his eyes falling closed at the trauma Emily had suffered at that mongrel dog Ian Doyle's hands. If he had it to do over again, he'd kill that mad as a bag of ferrets ponce himself… but then he supposed without the balls-up situation of the last few months he would never have gotten his second chance with Emily. "Darling, I'm here if you want to talk."

"Clyde…" Emily sighed, as she relaxed into the corner of her couch, not knowing where to even begin as she drew the afghan around herself as she attempted to find a small piece of security.

"Take your time darling." Clyde urged softly, knowing how important this was.

* * *

><p>Hotch leaned forward and picked up the bottle of Scotch he'd brought over and poured a few fingers into both of their glasses. "To Carolyn," Hotch said knocking his glass against his best friend's.<p>

Dave nodded, "to Carolyn," he replied and then took a sip of the finely aged whisky.

"You should take some time," Hotch said leaning back against the couch, settling in to watch the soccer game on the screen.

Dave snorted, "E tu, Aaron?" he asked with a raise of his eyebrow as if to remind Aaron how hard it had been to keep him away from work when their roles had been reversed and he was the one telling Aaron to take some time.

"I know you think chasing down serial killers will take your mind off of it, but it won't. Believe me." Hotch said turning to look at Dave.

Dave nodded, acknowledging that if there were anyone who knew how he felt right now, it would be Aaron. "I'll keep that in mind… and I am going to take some time… I… I'm going to visit Carolyn's grave in a few days once the stone is placed…" he said trailing off as he thought about the last time he'd visited that particular burial plot… which lead him to thinking about the son he'd never been allowed to acknowledge as his… "But for now, let's watch the game." He said with a nod at the television, wanting the distraction from his losses and his memories for the moment.

* * *

><p>"Ugh, I finally got him down." JJ said as she came down the stairs from Henry's bedroom at Will's house.<p>

"He still feel warm?" Will asked in concern from where he sat next to Elle.

"No," JJ said, running her hands through her hair as she crossed the living room, "the ibuprofen must have kicked in." she said as she sank down on the couch next to Spence.

"I'm sorry, JJ. I know it's your weekend off an all but he was miserable and cryin' for his Momma…" Will said as he looked over at the mother of his child.

"Will, it's fine. Henry's sick. I understand… and there isn't any place else I would want to be." JJ explained.

Will nodded in understanding, remembering the times Henry had been sick when they'd still been together. "It's that pre-school… place is like a petri dish." He said, scrubbing his hand over his face.

Elle reached out, rubbing her hand up and down Will's back, able to see how exhausted he was from being up since the early morning hours when Henry woke up sick.

Just then both JJ and Spence's phones went off. They both pulled their phones out and glanced at each other after seeing the text message from Garcia telling them that Hotch wanted everyone in for a case involving a couple of kids that were found dead.

"I thought you had a few days off?" Will asked, turning to look at JJ.

JJ met Will's penetrating gaze with a look that said, 'I did… until we got this text message'.

"What's the case?" he asked continuing on after reminding himself that when JJ worked or didn't work was no longer his business except for when it came to Henry… although right now Henry was sick…

Elle and Spence caught each other's eyes, each knowing that this had been a point of contention in JJ and Will's former relationship; however they also knew that this was something that was bound to come up eventually with the line of work that they were both in.

"It's about some missing kids." JJ replied.

"Guess you gotta go in then huh?" Will asked, his disappoint on Henry's behalf for his Momma being away while the boy was sick seeping into his voice.

JJ took a deep breath and mentally counted to ten, wanting to avoid slipping into an argument with Will when they weren't even together anymore. "Look, we've talked about this. If I had someone to cover my shifts, I would… what if it was Henry?"

"Don't." Will said standing up and pacing the living room. He paused and turned, pointing up the stairs. "It's not Henry, Henry is right upstairs."

"But what if it was? We'd want someone out there looking for him." JJ answered, grasping Spence's hand as he slid his into hers.

"No, I know… you're right…" He replied, his shoulders slumping as he put himself in the shoes of the parents involved. "It's alright. You and Spencer should go. I'll take care of Henry."

Spence stood up from his seat and looked back and forth between JJ and Will. He knew that JJ wanted to stay with Henry… he did too… but he also knew JJ's sense of duty and her need to help people. It was what they'd signed up for when they joined not only the FBI, but the BAU. It came with the territory; but that still didn't make it any easier to leave.

JJ glanced up the stairs towards Henry's room, agonizing over having to leave when her little man was sick.

"Really… I got this. We'll see you when you get back." He said looking at JJ and realizing just how much she was struggling over leaving Henry to go on this case.

* * *

><p>"Oh, and pack for foul weather," Garcia said as the team stood up at the end of the briefing and started to gather their things in preparation to leave the round table room and head for the air stip. "The weather is nasty."<p>

* * *

><p>JJ stared out the window of the jet into the foggy haze of the humid central plains air the just was passing through on their way to Kansas. She lost herself in her worries over Henry being sick… and how much she wished she was at home… there was no place like home she thought barely managing to hold back her snicker at the irony. They were headed to Kansas during a recent outbreak of tornadoes and she was thinking there was no place like home. She should have asked Garcia if she had some ruby slippers she could borrow. Three clicks and she'd be home.<p>

She was startled out of her thoughts as the plane jostled them all about, the glasses on the table rattled, and the whine of the jet's engine could be heard as it fought against the turbulent air outside the relatively comfortable confines of the pressurized cabin.

"Central planes…" she said, gathering her thoughts as she along with everyone else reached out, grabbing their water glasses and coffee cups to keep them from bouncing off of the table, "right in the middle of tornado alley."

"You know if this unsub is using tornadoes as a forensic counter measure, then Kansas certainly is the ideal setting. Tornadoes do pose a significant threat. During this year's super outbreak back in April, there were 336 confirmed tornadoes in just several days resulting in over 300 lives lost." Reid quickly rambled off, attempting to distract the team from how distracted JJ was. He'd been watching her look out the window until they hit the last patch of turbulence and he could see her looking out the window again right now out of the corner of his eye. He knew how intensely private JJ was sometimes, even with the team, and he hoped that they took it to be her watching the ominous skies instead of what he knew it to be, her tucking away the last of her worries for Henry so that she could work effectively on this case and they could get home.

At that point Garcia came on one of their large monitors.

"Hey, tell us somethin' good mama." Morgan said from his spot leaning against the credenza.

"Okay, so local PD have identified your victims…" Garcia said as she began to brief the team with the most recent information.

"Well now, he could be keeping the body parts for some sort of fetish." Emily interjected as the team began theorizing based on what Garcia had been able to tell them.

"Okay, eww. That is my cue. I'm here if you need me with my binary machines that don't say gross things." Garcia said just before reaching out and using her keyboard to shut down the webcam.

No sooner had Garcia disconnected than the jet hit another patch of turbulence. Each of the team members reacted drastically different.

Emily sat calmly in her seat, keeping her body loose and tension free so as to best ride out the jostling to her body.

Morgan tightly gripped the credenza he was half sitting on, half leaning against so as not to end up on the floor.

Hotch braced himself against the table making his best effort to be immovable.

JJ inhaled and exhaled deeply with each shift of the plane, wanting to remain calm.

Reid calmly reached down into his lap, buckling his seatbelt as he watched Rossi who sat directly across the table from him squeeze the armrests tightly while reaching out to brace himself against the table, close his eyes, and make the sign of the cross, "I didn't know you were a bad flier."

"I'm not, I just hate turbulence." Rossi replied.

"You know turbulence very rarely causes planes to crash." Reid explained, trying to provide Rossi with the logic and reason to relax for the remainder of their flight.

JJ turned to look at Spence as she bounced slightly in her seat, unable to believe that he was choosing now, when they were enduring turbulence to give an impromptu lesson on the safety of flight and how turbulence "rarely" caused planes to crash.

"That does me absolutely no good at the moment, thank you." Rossi replied slightly tense, his expression becoming more tense as Reid continued his educational rambling.

"What we really need to worry about are microbursts. The sudden downburst of air associated with thunderstorms, but a small craft like this, if we hit one of those at the wrong altitude, poeuwch" he said making a sound effect as he brought his hands together, "we'll pulverize."

"I beg of you to make him stop," Rossi said as he turned to look at JJ.

JJ sat mouth wide open, shaking her head in slight shock at Spence's words for a moment, struggling to think of how she could stop Spence's rambling at the moment. Then she reached her hand over to Spence's lap and found his hand. She squeezed, getting his attention.

Spence turned to look at JJ as she tugged lightly on his hand.

JJ raised her eyebrows at him the same as she would if he was giving Henry details about something that he shouldn't.

Spence's eyes widened. "Too much information?" he asked, taking a quick glance around the cabin at the varying tenseness and paleness of their faces, and then back to JJ's face.

JJ merely nodded and took another calming breath. Here's to hoping that their jet wasn't pulverized by a microburst before they could even make it to Kansas. Now she really wished she'd asked Garcia about ruby slippers.

Reid grimaced as he replayed his conversation with Rossi in his head, this time picking up on the body language and other indicators that he should have caught during the original conversation, but missed due to his enthusiasm to share what he knew. "Sorry," he replied somewhat meekly as he attempted to pull his hand back from JJ's making a note to watch his ramblings in the future.

JJ hung onto Spence's hand, refusing to let go of her lifeline to calmness as this point as the jet shuddered yet again. The rest of the team merely nodded, anxiously awaiting the blessed feeling of the jet touching down on the tarmac and taxiing to a stop so they could get off and on blessed solid unmoving ground.

* * *

><p>The team gathered in the area of the Police precinct that had been set aside for them compiling and assembling the various puzzle pieces they'd been able to collect throughout the day in their various assignments hoping that they were able to get a clear picture of who this unsub was and why he was doing what he was doing as quickly as possible.<p>

Hotch stood, hands on his hips, his suit jacket pushed back, displaying his holster as the team stood in a circle unconsciously mimicking their own round table back in Quantico. "Okay, what do we know? There is another major system expected tonight. That's going to be an issue if his MO is connected to the weather."

Morgan shook his head. "Then we have a problem. These storms… they mean somethin' to this guy. One of my buddies in college that I played ball with was from Indiana. He used to tell me about how he and his boys would get drunk and chase storms… he talked about how it was as close as they could get to the true power of God… I think that's what this guy is trying to do, whatever his reason."

Emily nodded in agreement with Morgan as she articulated her opinion. "Based on what we saw this guy is mobile. He has to have his own mode of transportation… and he's impulsive. He's probably young and a loner with nothing to lose."

"That would make sense." JJ said, "Jason Meredith and Eric Janelle were both street kids. Our unsub was probably one too. With the street smarts these kids had they would have seen right through anybody trying to be a poser."

"Both victims displayed a protective nature as well and something about that might be speaking to this unsub." Hotch added then he turned to Reid. "What did you and Rossi find out from the ME?"

"The ME noticed matching blunt force trauma on each of the victims' heads as well as alcohol and dextromethorphan in their systems." Reid began to explain.

"Dextrometho what now?" Morgan asked.

Rossi gave a small smirk. It felt good to be back within the folds of the team after his short time off. Hopefully Reid and Morgan would get back to their prank war soon. God knows they could all use the levity after cases like these. He could tell they'd mutually decided to put it on hold out of respect for him and what he was going through with Carolyn's death. "Cough syrup. It's a cheap high when you're in the situation these kids were. The damage was mostly consistent with tornado type injuries other than the limbs being chopped off post-mortem with a dull axe or cleaver based on what the stumps looked like."

"Sexual assault was inconclusive" Reid added on matter of factly, "but there were anti-mortem ligature marks on the remaining limbs so the unsub is definitely holding his victims for a time period prior to killing them."

"He's gets them drunk and high, restrains them, kills them, and cleaves off a limb as a souvenir…" Rossi interjected.

"But it's not about torture." JJ pondered, "He's killing them before cutting off their limbs."

"And why keep the severed limbs as a souvenir? What or who is he trying to remember?" Reid asked as the team all stood looking at each other. Most times early on in the case there were unfortunately more questions than answers and more often than not even the answers they did get only led to more questions.

* * *

><p>They walked across the hotel lobby as a cohesive group, heading directly for the elevators, too tired to think about anything else. They'd managed to make it to their hotel just as the winds picked up and the storm began to move in.<p>

The silence in the elevator was palpable as it climbed to their floor, each of the profilers lost in their own thoughts. The elevator chimed as it reached their floor and the doors opened.

"Get some sleep and we'll start fresh first thing tomorrow." Hotch said over his shoulder as he stepped out into the hallway and headed towards his room.

JJ's phone was in her hand and dialing as Spence unlocked and opened the door to their room. "Will, sorry… yes I know how late it is…" she grimaced as she glanced down at her watch having forgotten about how late it was in conjunction with the time difference. "I just… how is Henry?" she asked anxiously as Spence shut, locked, and latched the door.

Spence turned to look at JJ, watching her in concern, knowing how difficult it was for her to be away from Henry while he was sick. His eyebrows rose, silently asking how his Godson was as JJ turned to look at him.

JJ nodded in response to Spence and sighed in relief. "That's great Will. I'm glad his fever finally broke. Is he asleep?" she asked, hoping for once that even though it was late that Henry was awake just so she could speak to him and hear for herself that her baby boy was feeling better. "Oh… well will you give him a good night kiss for me?" she asked in response to Will telling her their son was asleep. "Thanks. I'll guess I'll talk to you tomorrow then. Good night."

"How's my little buddy doing?" Spence asked, stepping in close and wrapping his arms around JJ.

JJ sagged into Spence's arms. "His fever broke and he went down a lot easier than he did last night." The young mother said, relief seeping into her voice.

"I'm glad Henry's feeling better. Now we just need to get this case wrapped up so we can go home and see him. I'm sure he can't wait to go outside and play with Sunny again." Spence said, his chin resting on the crown of JJ's head.

JJ smiled at the mental image of Henry playing with his puppy. "We should try to get a few hours of sleep… or when this case is over we won't be able to keep up with them." JJ yawned as she stepped back out of Spence's arms and dropped her go bag on bed, quickly ruffling through until she found Spence's old Caltech t-shirt and her toiletry bag.

At that moment a loud boom of thunder rattled the windows and a streak of lightning lit up the dark half of the hotel room as bright as day.

"Easier said than done." Spence replied as dropped his own bag on the bed next to JJ's and pulled out his own Dopp kit. Then he joined JJ in getting ready for bed; though, between the storm brewing outside, trying to figure out the elusive details of the case, and thoughts of Henry it didn't seem like either of them would be getting much sleep.

* * *

><p>"We need to give the profile." Hotch said as he came into the bullpen of the precinct, his coat tails fluttering behind him like a cape.<p>

"Are you sure we're ready to do that?" Morgan asked as he looked between Hotch, Rossi, and Reid who'd all just returned from the most recent crime scene where the dismembered arms, legs, and head of the latest victim had been discovered early that morning.

"He's accelerating and the weather's driving him to do it." Hotch replied, "Reid noticed that it looks like our unsub isn't taking bodies apart, he's putting one together based on the body parts that have been taken so far."

"Okay, but why?" Morgan asked.

"We figure that out and we'll find our unsub." Rossi replied as he stood with his hands tucked into the back pockets of his jeans.

Hotch nodded in agreement, "So, white male, mid to late 20's, mobile…"

"He's traveling pretty far to carry out this obsession with the storms. It's probably a beat up rusted from the elements truck or a van and he has to be living out of it." Emily added as the team went over what they knew and made inferences about who the unsub was based on what they knew.

Rossi nodded along. "He's going to need a lot of salt and ice. Those body parts are getting ripe fast."

"And he has to pay for it all… and gas. He's got to be a day laborer or handy man to make money. He wouldn't be able to hold down a regular job." Morgan said as they looked at the murder board, making sure they didn't miss anything that would help them narrow down the profile before letting Lieutenant Beasley know to pull all the on duty officers together.

"Sorry," JJ said softly, pulling her cell phone off her hip as the rest of the team continued to give the profile while she silenced her phone. Then her phone buzzed with an incoming text message and she glanced down to see the 'CALL ME ASAP 911' text from Will. "We think he's using the weather as a forensic counter measure to destroy evidence," she said, trying to maintain her focus on the case, "but we also think he might be some sort of symphorophiliac…" she trailed off as her phone buzzed again.

"I'm sorry symphoro-what?" Lieutenant Beasley asked.

"Uh, excuse me." JJ said, glancing down at the new text message from Will and then up at Hotch before abruptly heading towards the hallway.

Hotch watched JJ until she reached the hallway, concerned because the only times he'd seen JJ leave during the presentation of a profile had been when she was the media liaison and there was breaking news or she was being called with details… but JJ wasn't the teams media liaison anymore, and that left him concerned for his newest profiler.

Reid couldn't help but track JJ as she headed for privacy of the hallway. He'd heard her phone ring and buzz twice. Given the circumstances at home, he couldn't help but be concerned for both JJ and Henry; however, somehow he managed to refocus back on the profile.

Emily quickly filled the gap, "Symphorophiliacs… they're sexually aroused by disaster, usually fires or traffic accidents. In this case, the weather must enhance his excitement."

"He hunts street kids, so he may be from a similar background," Morgan explained, "and he's most likely uneducated but he's charming enough to be able to engage his victims."

"We'll talk to the press." Hotch said as he looked around at all the officers gathered. "You should warn any transient kids you might know. As this weather gets worse, so will the unsub."

* * *

><p>"Since when is a seizure fine?" JJ asked on the verge of tears and her voice nearly breaking; only her experience with the BAU enabled her to reel her emotions in and keep it together.<p>

"The doctor said it's normal for kids his age." Will said as he leaned against the hospital wall. He gave Elle a tired nod as she walked up next to him and handed him one of the cups of coffee that she was holding. She ran her free hand up and down Will's arm offering the little bit of comfort she could at the moment.

"But his fever broke." JJ replied, frustration evident in her voice as she tried to understand from over a thousand miles away what exactly had happened to her precious baby boy.

"Yeah," Will drawled, "it spiked again."

JJ closed her eyes, silently praying for Henry to truly be okay, "Did you give him his medicine this morning?" she asked in a harsh tone of voice, lashing out at the only person available right now.

"No, he was okay." Will replied shaking his head.

"Did he feel warm?" JJ asked.

"No," Will replied softly.

"Well you checked right?" JJ questioned, continuing her desperate interrogation.

"JJ," Will whispered as he stood up from leaning against the wall, "of course I did. What 're you tryin' to say?"

"Nothing, I" JJ responded sharply and then caught herself. She closed her eyes and took half a second to remind herself that Henry was Will's son too and that he had to be just as concerned and worried as she was. Taking it out on Will right now wasn't fair, "Where is he now?"

"He's restin'. We're just waitin' for some paperwork and then we're gonna go home." He explained.

JJ exhaled a long breath. "Okay, I'll call you when my flight arrives."

"You don't have to do that." Will said softly.

"Henry's sick," JJ expelled the last of her frustration with those words, "I'm coming home. Call you later." She continued in a soft voice feeling nearly defeated by the situation and the unknowing.

As JJ hung up her phone, Hotch came around the corner of the hallway followed closely by Spence.

"What's wrong?" Hotch asked in a concerned tone of voice.

JJ paused, looking back and forth between Hotch and Spence. "It's, uh Henry. He had a febrile seizure. Will took him to the ER. He's fine… apparently it's totally normal. Look I gotta get back home." She explained, stumbling over her words as she tried to allay all the fears and worst case scenarios running through her mind.

"Of course, anything I can do?" Hotch asked.

"Can I borrow the jet?" JJ asked sheepishly, having a feeling the answer would be no, but still taking a shot anyway.

"I think the budget oversight committee might not appreciate my generosity." Hotch replied solemnly.

"Yeah, well worth a shot right?" JJ said, attempting to smile.

"Check in and let us know everything's alright." Hotch said and then turned to Reid who was standing next to him. "I'm sorry Reid, but I need you here." Knowing that his youngest profiler wished to go with JJ, but also knowing that he couldn't afford to be down two profilers with way this unsub was escalating.

Reid swallowed and nodded in understanding, his eyes not leaving JJ's.

Hotch took a deep breath. "Alright, I'll give both a moment." He said excusing himself as he turned and headed back to the rest of the team.

Once Hotch rounded the corner and they had a modicum of privacy, Spence stepped forward wrapping his arms around JJ. "You were right you know. Febrile seizures happen to children between the ages of six months five years of age. They only happen with an elevated fever, but they don't necessarily occur when the fever is at its peak. Infants who are younger than 15 months when they have their first febrile seizure are more likely to have repeat occurrences than older children. There's no evidence that they cause brain damage, a decrease in IQ, or learning problems. Febrile seizures aren't epilepsy and there's only a slight increased risk for developing epilepsy compared to the general population. Henry is going to be fine." He whispered into her ear hoping to have given her a list of reasons not to worry about their little boy.

JJ pressed her face into the crook of Spence's neck, allowing herself a brief moment of comfort, a soft sob escaping her lips; then conscious of the fact that they were in the middle of a police precinct on a case, she pulled away, wiping her eyes as she stepped back out of Spence's arms. "Thanks," she said reaching out and taking one of his hands and squeezing.

Spence, "He's going to be okay JJ… I have to go talk to Hotch about how I think the unsub might have gotten started… but you'll let me know when you're headed to the airport?" he asked, tipping his head as he studied her, concern for her radiating off him.

JJ nodded and gave Spence's hand one final squeeze before turning and walking down the hall, taking the back way into the bullpen so as not to distract the rest of the team from working on the case while she went to find a flight home.

* * *

><p>Spence turned on his heels and went back around the corner, pausing at the table to pick up a white board marker. He quickly shook the marker, causing it to click as the ball moved inside the barrel. Then, he stepped up to the clear glass board and began drawing a stick figure missing a head and a leg.<p>

Hotch noticed that Reid was back from talking to JJ and turned to watch, crossing his arms knowing that whatever insight Reid had to the case would certainly help move it forward. The rest of the team noticed that Reid was at the case board with Hotch watching intently and turned, walking over to see what new development Reid had.

Once Reid had the stick figure drawn on the white board, he turned to face the team, "I've been thinking… the vast majority of unsubs with this MO aren't driven by the killing, they're fascinated by the body parts… and because of that I think I know how this unsub may have gotten started." He explained cutting to the quick in an un-Reid-like fashion, but driven by the need to finish this case as quickly as possible so that he could get home to JJ and Henry as well as having learned from the experience on the jet the previous morning.

* * *

><p>"Who's that with Hotch?" JJ asked as she came around from behind the desk. Since her attempts to get home were futile with all the flights being cancelled because of the weather. She might as well rejoin the team in working the case so they could catch the unsub and all go home.<p>

"There's been another abduction, a boy name Shaun Rutledge; it's his younger brother Billy." Reid explained as they all watched Hotch shake hands with the parents of the latest missing boy.

"Says a young white guy in an RV attacked them with a crowbar in the rain." Morgan added, turning to look at JJ.

"He's also changed his victim selection criteria," Reid continued, "the boy he grabbed gets straight As, plays football, even volunteers at his church."

"So he wanted him so badly he was willing to leave a witness?" JJ asked as she turned back to look at Spence.

Reid nodded. "Which suggests he's losing touch with reality and his delusions are starting to take over."

"What is it about this kid that's so attractive to him though?" Morgan asked.

"He's teenage and Caucasian like the others, right?" JJ questioned, wanting to get up to speed so that she could help.

Morgan gave a subtle nod as JJ glanced his way.

"We also think that a sexual element might not be at play." Reid said as they all stood looking through the window of the office where Hotch sat with Shaun Rutledge's family and interviewing the younger brother Billy.

"So then what the hell is driving this guy?" Morgan asked.

As JJ watched the sad expression on the young blond haired Billy, she couldn't help but be reminded of a younger blond haired boy a thousand miles to the east. And then it clicked for her… the expression on poor Billy's face… "Maybe it's love," JJ said turning around to look at Spence and Morgan, "What if he's trying to recreate someone he loves?"

"It is an emotion that drives us to extremes." Morgan said thoughtfully.

"If he's trying to recreate someone, then it's probably someone that he loved and lost." Reid added to the conversation.

"Wait," JJ said turning from the window again, "you said he was with his big brother, right?" she asked as she looked back and forth between Morgan and Spence.

At that moment Hotch came out from interviewing Billy Rutledge with the composite sketch of the unsub that the sketch artist had been able to put together from Billy's description. "Billy was able to give us a description," he said handing the sketch over to Morgan.

Morgan nodded as he moved around the conference table and picked up the receiver on the phone. "And JJ probably came up with the key to us narrowing down who this guy is," he said as he dialed Garcia's number from memory.

"Holla at your girl." Garcia said as she tapped her phone, answering it on speaker so she and her babies could make beautiful magic together and ferret out the evil doer in his tracks.

"Baby girl," Morgan drawled, resting his hands on the table and rocking in place, "I need those big beautiful brains of yours."

Garcia shook her hands, "Jazz hands ready, gimme." She answered preparing to let her fingers do the walking.

Step by step they walked Garcia through narrowing down the data until they had their unsub, Travis James. Morgan held up the composite and compared it to the photo Garcia sent to his tablet; it was an almost definite match.

As Garcia proceeded to tell them the sad tale of Travis James' life, starting with the loss of his brother and his mother in a tornado in Enid Oklahoma, the power went out at the Police station in Kansas leaving the team in the dark. The power came back on and Garcia continued filling them in on the harsh circumstances of Travis James' young life. He and five other boys had testified against a known pedophile, Roscoe Gulch. The perv had been acquitted; however, Travis' older brother Tucker and he had gone to confront him just before the tornado hit… a fight ensued… and only Travis escaped the trailer to a nearby culvert, watching as the trailer and his brother were swept away.

"Garcia, how old was Tucker when he was killed?" Hotch asked, the obsession with the storms beginning to make sense.

"17, he was found in pieces. They had to use DNA and dental records to ID him." Garcia answered sadly. "Travis was placed in foster care."

As Garcia talked about Tucker being found in pieces, Reid ambled over to the window, focusing on the weather outside… the lightning… what was it about the lightning… loss of a loved one… bodies in pieces… one piece scavenged from a mortuary… lightning… lightning… the power of God… "It's Frankenstein." He exhaled in realization.

"What?" Morgan asked as he and Hotch turned around to look at him and JJ stood up from her seat at the table, stepping closer.

"The unsub isn't just trying to put his brother back together, he's trying to bring him back from the dead." Reid explained, suddenly all the pieces of the case falling into place. "He believes that tornadoes have the power to take life, so conversely they should also be able to restore it."

"I'll pick up Rossi and Prentiss on the way." Hotch said, realizing that Reid was right. "Come on, let's go."

* * *

><p>Morgan shook his head as he, JJ, and Reid split off from Hotch, climbing into one of the SUVs together. He'd never tease his friend about his love of old monster movies ever again. "How does Frankenstein end?" Morgan asks, glancing in the back seat and then putting the SUV in drive as they follow Hotch in the other SUV out of the parking lot.<p>

A half-smile lit JJ's face momentarily that she knew something that Morgan was expecting Spence to answer. "The villagers end up burning the mill where they have the monster trapped and then Frankenstein's father toasts his son's marriage with hopes for a future grandchild." JJ answered looking up at Morgan from her tablet where she was pulling up the local weather so they could see where they'd need to go.

"Wait, I thought Frankenstein was the monster." Morgan said slightly confused.

"Common misconception, Frankenstein is the doctor who builds the monster… and JJ's partially right. That's how the 1931 movie ended, but in the book that all iterations of Frankenstein and his monster are based on, Victor Frankenstein dies and his monster weeps over his body. After the monster shares the sorrow of his immense solitude, suffering, hatred, and remorse with the story's narrator, he shares that with his creator dead he can end his suffering as well."

JJ's eyebrows rose on her forehead. It seemed that the book version of Frankenstein's monster was not so unlike so many of the unsubs they chased. Seeking revenge for the wrongs committed against them, redemption, forgiveness, a way to make things right again… they, like Frankenstein's monster just went about it in the wrong way.

Morgan tightened his grip on the steering wheel and his jaw, hoping for Shaun Rutledge's sake that they managed to find the unsub before Shaun's head became the final piece of the unsub's attempt at reanimating his brother Tucker.

* * *

><p>Everyone in the storm cellar was left gasping for breath in the wake of their rush to get underground as they listened to the howling winds of the tornado raging directly above, no doubt in any of their minds how truly fortunate they were and just how close they'd cut it.<p>

JJ stared at the floor, disbelief in her eyes at how close they'd come to being blown away like the unsub… and it made her ever that much more aware of what the important things were as she fumbled on the bench between them for Spence's hand and gripped it tightly on finding it.

Spence squeezed JJ's hand tightly in return, letting her know he was still here… he was holding on and he wasn't letting go. He breathed deeply, his head tipping back to rest on the cinder block wall at his back in the realization that Havelock Ellis was right, all the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on.

* * *

><p>"So weather's supposed to break tomorrow." JJ said as she sat in the darkened bullpen of the police precinct, exhaustion seeping into her voice, "We should be home sometime in the afternoon. I'll call and let you know for sure."<p>

"Didju at least catch the guy?" Will asked as he sat on his bed next to Elle.

"Yeah… sort of, it was kind of weird." JJ sighed, raising her hand to wrap around Spence's as he stepped up behind her, resting one hand on her shoulder after setting her cup of coffee on the desk behind her. He set down his own cup of coffee and grabbed a nearby chair, pulling it over to sit down next to JJ, his hand remaining clasped in hers as he removed it from her shoulder.

"You alright?" Will asked, realizing how much of a toll of this took on his ex-girlfriend and how he'd never respected just how difficult it was for her. They'd been broken up over a year now and he was still making realizations about all the reasons they just hadn't been right for each other.

"Yeah, I'm fine," JJ said casting a sidelong glance at Spence, knowing they'd be talking later either in the privacy of their hotel room, or when they finally got home, "it's just…. been a really long day." She said with a sigh as she rolled her head trying to release the tension coiled in her shoulders after their ordeal. "Listen, I'm… really sorry about earlier," JJ apologized, knowing that while she and Will had separated on as friendly of terms as possible in the end, it was still hard not to fall into the old habits of their prior relationship under pressure… it was something they were going to have to continue to work on.

"Yeah, me too." Will answered, realizing in hindsight that his passive aggressive handling of letting JJ know that Henry was sick and in the ER had not helped the situation or their relationship. It seemed that they still had a ways to go in learning to co-parent effectively, but hopefully them both admitting they were partially at fault was a good start.

"So, is he uh still up?" JJ asked, sniffling slightly, leaning into Spence's chest as he shifted their chairs allowing them to be closer.

Will let go of Elle's hand and stood up from the bed. "Yeah, he says he's not goin' to sleep 'till he gets story time." He said, crossing the hall to Henry's bedroom. "He's a strong little guy, but he's exhausted."

JJ sat up, lining up her body and Spence's as she tipped the phone to rest between both of their ears as she heard Will put the phone on his end on speaker and speak softly to Henry, asking him to guess who was on the phone.

"MOMMY!" echoed Henry's adorably excited response through the phone.

"Hi! Hi, little man." JJ answered, just the sound of her son's voice reviving and cheering her. "How, how are you? I heard you um…" she paused, not wanting to scare Henry, "went to the doctor."

Spence rubbed a hand up and down JJ's back, trying to comfort her, knowing how upset she'd been and still was that she hadn't been there for Henry when he'd needed and probably wanted Mommy the most.

"You coming home Mommy?" Henry asked softly, having already gotten over and forgotten the scary time at the hospital earlier in the day.

"Not yet buddy, tomorrow. I promise. But guess who's here with me?" JJ said glancing up at Spence. "Do you want to say hi to Uncle Spence?"

"Una 'pence you come home wit Mommy?" Henry asked, his tiredness detracting from his recently improved language skills.

"Yeah I am." Spence replied with a smile. "So how's my little buddy?"

"I good. You good Unca 'pence?" Henry asked sweetly.

"Yeah, yeah I am Henry." Spence replied, swallowing thickly as he was transported momentarily back to that moment in the storm cellar having narrowly averted death by twister and making a promise to himself that he would never forget all the things that he had to be thankful for… for all the things that he would hold on to tightly. "Hey, I uh heard your Daddy mention something about story time," he said, his voice cracking and knowing how tired Henry must be after everything that he'd been through.

JJ smiled at the interaction between Godfather and Godson. "Are you ready for story time little man?"

"Yeah!" Henry replied eagerly, story time with Mommy at the end of the day was the best.

"Yeah? Okay," JJ answered, the joy of time spent with her son lighting up her face, "Daddy, are you ready?" JJ asked making sure he was prepared with the book. As she heard the pages flip on the other end of the phone she glanced up at Spence, making eye contact with him as she recited Henry's bedtime story from memory, "Bedtime for baby star,"

Spence leaned down and kissed JJ on the forehead, and then held her close as she continued Henry's story.

"Once there was a baby star, he lived up near the son. And every night at bedtime that baby star wanted to have some fun." JJ said, swallowing back her tears, "he would shine and shine and fall and shoot and twinkle oh so bright." She smiled thinking of how fitting the description of the baby star was for her own baby boy, "And he said, 'Mommy, I'll run away if you make me say good night.' And then his Mommy kissed him on his sparkly nose and said, 'no matter where you go, no matter where you are, no matter how big you grow, and even if you stray far, I'll love you forever because you're always my baby star.'" JJ said, the tears she'd managed to hold back until now cresting the rim of her eyes and hovering just on the brink of falling.

"Night Mommy." Henry said in a soft voice.

"Good night," JJ whispered in reply and then hung up the phone, turning into Spence's chest as she did so and let the tears finally fall.


End file.
